Jesse Johnson – USA Today Sports Images
In the 2012-2013 NBA season, the Minnesota Timberwolves were arguably the most unfortunate team in the league. Coming into the year, they had high expectations for their team, hoping to make the playoffs for the first time in quite a while. However, injuries to numerous key players, including Kevin Love, derailed any chance of a postseason run for the Wolves.
After an off-season this summer where they were able to sign Kevin Martin and Corey Brewer, as well as re-sign Chase Budinger, Minnesota has high expectations for the 2013-2014 season, as well. Before training camp has even gotten underway, though, the Wolves are already recalling the injury-riddled debacle that was last season.
On Friday, the team announced that Budinger, who had just talked about how good he had been feeling this summer, would need surgery on his knee to repair cartilage damage on the same knee that he injured last season, causing him to miss the majority of the year. He has plans to meet with the famed Dr. James Andrews, which isn’t a good sign in itself, to see what the timetable will be for his return to the floor.
Because of the Timberwolves focusing on adding depth at the wings this summer, the Budinger injury isn’t crippling, though it does hurt them slightly. Budinger brings a lot of things to the table on the wing like his surprising athleticism and notable ability to knock down outside shots, which the Wolves will surely miss while he’s out.
Possibly the worst part of the Budinger injury, though, is that it brings about memories of last season. This team, led by Love, Nikola Pekovic and Ricky Rubio, certainly has the chance to compete for a spot in the postseason. However, if injuries begin to crop up like they did last year, they will be disappointed once again. Let’s hope that this is just an isolated incident with Budinger and that it doesn’t become widespread, like it did last season.
Cody Williams is a Senior Writer with Rant Sports. Follow Cody on Twitter @TheSizzle20, add him on Google and like his Facebook page.
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