Knock on wood, but as of now it appears the Timberwolves will have their full roster of players available for Wednesday’s regular season opener against the Trail Blazers. This gives fans a glimpse of what Chris Finch’s rotation will look like, at least to start the season when the team is at full strength. While Minnesota has stayed healthy thus far, other teams in the Western Conference can’t say the same.
Most Western Conference teams have at least one key player out
When Minnesota heads to Portland for the regular season opener, the Wolves will meet a team that doesn’t have everyone available. Now Damian Lillard probably shouldn’t even count since he signed with the Trail Blazers when it was known he would likely miss the entire year. Portland will also be without third-year guard Scoot Henderson due to a torn left hamstring.
In the Wolves’ second and fifth games, they will face the Lakers. LA is without LeBron James as he was diagnosed with sciatica on his right side. It was recently reported that the 40-year-old hopes to return in mid-November, well after the first two games against Minnesota (October 24 and October 29).
Other notable players in the Western Conference who are not expected to be available for the start of the regular season include:
Outsiders: Kyrie Irving
Warriors: De’Anthony Melton
Rockets: Fred VanVleet (out for season)
Grizzlies: Zach Edey, Brandon Clarke, Scotty Pippen Jr.
Pelicans: Kevon Looney, Dejounte Murray
Thunder: Nikola topic
Kings: Domantas Sabonis, Keegan Murray
Spurs: De’Aaron Fox, Jeremy Sochan
That might not even be the entire list (Ja Morant might not be available for the Grizzlies, for example). Although 82 games remain to be played, the Timberwolves have the healthcare advantage over the majority of their Western Conference counterparts to start the year.
Donte DiVincenzo’s summer injury scare
There was some concern over the summer when it was announced that Donte DiVincenzo would not play for Italy in EuroBasket. He apparently aggravated a left toe injury that sidelined him for 19 games last season.
The fear turned out to be unnecessary because DiVincenzo was able to work the entire preseason. However, it may be something to keep an eye on, but let’s hope it’s not a recurring condition.
There are few stars in the game that can match the durability of Anthony Edwards. The 24-year-old has played in 79 games each of the past three seasons, meaning he has only missed nine games in that time.
In a Western Conference chock full of good to great teams, the top could come down to which teams can stay the healthiest throughout the season.
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