Just like several of the other NBA franchises, injuries have not evaded the Minnesota Timberwolves squad either. From Donte DiVincenzo being ‘OUT’ indefinitely to rookie Terrence Shannon Jr.’s mid-foot sprain keeping him away for weeks, these instances would be the last thing Anthony Edwards and Co. would want.

After all, they managed only slightly above the .500 win percentage. The squad did catch a fortunate break by winning 3 of their most recent games. Unfortunately, the win in the recent matchup came at a cost.

Nickeil Alexander-Walker had to exit the game after sustaining an apparent lower-body injury during the Timberwolves-Hawks matchup. It became evident something happened after the player hopped on one leg while the Wolves (25-21) ran back on defense before he went down on their next offensive possession.

Walker’s teammates helped him off the court, indicating things were serious. This may have led some people to question: Did the shooting guard suffer an ACL ailment?

Walker exited the game after playing for 22 minutes and scoring just 5 points (2-7 FG, 1-5 3Pt), 9 rebounds, and 2 assists. After further diagnosis, the medical officials revealed his injury to be a left lower leg contusion. While this is unfortunate news in itself, one can rejoice because Walker did not sustain a torn ACL. After all, before the official update came out, people had already started panicking on social media.

NBA fans send their best to Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Naz Reid for a speedy recovery: “Hope both guys are okay”

One social media user took to X to write “NAW rolled his ankle, we pretty much know what that is. Unsure about Naz – arm injury seems scarier for possibilities. Hope both guys are okay.”

The Timberwolves-Hawks matchup also saw Naz Reid heading to the locker room after reports revealed he sustained an apparent shoulder injury in the 4 quarter. Fortunately, he wasn’t in the locker room for too long and returned to Monday’s game against Atlanta as 3:22 minutes remained in the 4 quarter.

Fortunately, he wasn’t in the locker room for too long. Naz Reid returned to Monday’s game against Atlanta as 3:22 minutes remained in the 4 quarter. Despite this, it cannot be said whether his injury will allow him to appear in the Timberwolves’ upcoming games, or not.

One social media user provided details of the injuries sustained by both players. In the end, he/she wrote “Hate to see injuries, especially after what happened to the Hawks last week!”

This comment may have referenced how the injury situation for the Atlanta Hawks had deteriorated from last week onwards. In fact, during the matchup between the Detroit Pistons and the Atlanta Hawks, a total of 6 players were listed on the Injury Report! Four were ‘OUT’, while Trae Young and Jalen Johnson’s respective ailments had made their game-time decisions. The situation has now worsened for the Atlanta Hawks.

After all, the 6 players were declared ‘OUT’ for the recent game against the Minnesota Timberwolves. With Nickeil-Alexander Walker becoming the 4 player to be listed on the Timberwolves’ report, any further injuries can cause the team to be in the same pit as the Eastern Conference franchise.

One social media user would have thanked his lucky stars that Nickeil Alexander-Walker’s injury wasn’t worse than a left lower leg contusion. After all, he commented, “that’s a relief, I hope for him to be back soon”. As highlighted by ‘Fit To Play’, how long a player remains ‘OUT’ due to a lower leg injury depends on the ailment’s severity. With intermuscular injuries, the athletes can return within a few days. Unfortunately, if the injury is severe, it might take up to 2-3 weeks. No update has been provided yet on the severity of Nickeil Alexander-Walker’s injury. No matter what, Walker is at least not set to be ‘OUT’ for the remainder of the season.

One individual highlighted, “Wolves went from being one of the healthiest teams to suddenly losing a couple of key guys. DDV out, Naz headed to the locker room, and now NAW is being helped off the floor”.

The Minnesota Timberwolves certainly hold an excellent track record with healthy players. According to an analysis by ‘LEBRON_WAR_MISSED’, the Timberwolves were amongst the best-ranked teams amongst injured franchises of the 2023-24 season. After all, only 114 games and 2310.3 minutes were missed by its players. Compare this to the Memphis Grizzlies, whose players missed 474 games, and 11617.1 minutes. Things seemed to be good during the ongoing season’s early stages, too. However, looking at how things are going, the franchise may not rank as well this time around.

Another social media user highlighted his plight over the injury. He/she stated “did NOT like the look of that NAW injury. yikes.” Fortunately, as mentioned above, an ACL was ruled out.

Overall, most reactions had fans expressing concern over Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Naz Reid, and the Timberwolves as a whole. The Minnesota Timberwolves currently hold a 25-21 win record. This allows them to be listed as the 7 seed on the Western Conference points table. Any further injuries could lead to that progress being dampened.

Therefore, for the franchise’s sake, Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Naz Reid should return to the lineup soon.