The Denver Nuggets and the Los Angeles Clippers are closing down on the Minnesota Timberwolves, who are now tied with the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference. However, Minnesota is in a dangerous predicament that might send them plunging down the rankings due to Karl-Anthony Towns’ meniscus injury on the left side.
With an average of 22.1 PPG and 8.4 RPG in 60 games this season, Towns has been a major contributor to Minnesota’s success. However, there is presently no indication of when he could make a comeback to the court.
Keeping that in mind, let’s discuss the three wagers that are most affected by Towns’ absence.
Coach of the Year Mark Daigneault (-200) of the Oklahoma City Thunder has been the front-runner to win the trophy for the most of the season, despite the Timberwolves’ dominance in the Western Conference.
If the Minnesota Timberwolves are able to finish the season strong and get the top seed in the conference without Towns, then it would be interesting to wager on Chris Finch (+350) to win the award. Recall that 43 coaches who have received this honor have finished with 50 victories in a given campaign.
But Finch’s Timberwolves will have a very difficult road ahead of them if they want to keep winning and hold the top seed while Towns is out.
The Year’s Sixth Man
This race is starting to become intriguing.
Naz Reid will play a bigger role without Towns, regardless of who starts at power forward for the team. This might help Reid get closer to the four other players who have a greater chance of winning the award. Although Reid is a sleeper you shouldn’t ignore, you should also keep in mind that because of Towns’ injury, his odds actually decreased from 11-1 to 20-1. If things continue in that manner, there may be much to overcome.
The current favorite, Malik Monk (-400), has averaged 15.6 PPG and 5.3 APG this season, compared to Reid’s 12.3 PPG and 4.8 RPG. Norman Powell, Bobby Portis, and Caris LeVert are all +900.
It’s important to note that every winning club during the previous ten seasons has placed no lower than second in their respective division. Only one player, Lou Williams, came from a club that ended with less than 48 victories. The other nine winners, all but two, were members of teams who placed fourth or higher in their conference.
Given that the Kings begin Thursday as the No. 7 seed in the Western Conference and are on pace for 47 victories, it’s possible that Monk isn’t as confident as the odds would suggest.
the Northwest Division victor
The Timberwolves (+450) and Thunder (+110) now have far better chances to win the Northwest Division than do the Nuggets (+130) and Minnesota (+255) did before the injury.
Even without Towns, Minnesota’s defense might make them a threat to any team in the NBA, and they have a decent home schedule for the last 20 games. But let’s not overlook how they performed during Towns’ injury last season; since the beginning of the previous campaign, Minnesota has a 29-26 record without KAT.
Towns’s mistake on extended time might lead to a two-team contest in the Northwest Division very soon if this pattern continues.
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