Timberwolves starting to get healthy
Dec. 7—The Timberwolves weren't at full strength Monday against Atlanta, but they do finally seem to be trending in that direction.
Minnesota got Jaden McDaniels and Karl-Anthony Towns back in the lineup, while Patrick Beverley is quickly working toward his return.
McDaniels had a serious bout with the flu, in which Timberwolves coach Chris Finch joked the forward "lost the whole 10 pounds (he gained) all summer, which he could ill afford to do." The illness knocked McDaniels out to the point where he was in bed for several days and unable to join the team on the road.
Saturday was the first day the forward finally felt "normal" and he was able to practice Sunday. Finch said McDaniels looked "pretty good" in the practice after missing two games.
Beverley was originally expected to miss at least two weeks with his groin injury, and then be re-evaluated at that point. That would've meant the Wolves looked at him at the end of this week, but he was questionable for Monday's contest before he was eventually ruled out prior to tip-off.
Finch said the veteran guard played 5-on-5 hoops with the team's low-minutes guys and a few coaches earlier in the day Monday.
"He had a really good run," Finch said. "He's inching closer and closer."
A return to action Wednesday against Utah looks possible.
D'Angelo Russell missed Monday's game with an ankle injury. That meant the Wolves were down three point guard options in Russell, Beverley and Jaylen Nowell. That pushed rookie guard Leandro Bolmaro into the starting unit.
Finch said Bolmaro — who wasn't in the rotation as recently as two weeks ago until Beverley went down — was "really excited" about the opportunity. Finch said the Wolves needed Bolmaro's size and defensive acumen to guard Trae Young.
