Jimmy Butler Injury Update: Timberwolves Shooting Guard 'Sidelined Indefinitely' Following Surgery
The Minnesota Timberwolves will be missing their top scorer, Jimmy Butler, "indefinitely" after he underwent a medical procedure for a recently sustained injury.
The Timberwolves organization confirmed that Butler had surgery on Sunday morning to treat the injured meniscus on his right knee and that it was performed at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. While the operation was successful, the team reported that Butler had to be "sidelined indefinitely" to undergo rehabilitation.
Butler suffered a non-contact injury during their 102-120 loss against the Houston Rockets last Friday, Feb. 23.
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Within the three-minute mark of the game's third quarter, Butler had a bad foot landing while eyeing his teammate Taj Gibson for a pass. The four-time All-Star player immediately fell on the floor and reached for his right knee while visibly in pain. Later, he needed to be escorted off the court.
According to ESPN, people close to Butler said the 28-year-old professional basketball player was optimistic that he can make a return in time for the playoffs if his team gets the chance to stay in the league even without him.
However, the coaching staff of the Minnesota Timberwolves does not want to be complacent and preferred not to put a timeline on Butler's recovery. Even so, they are glad that the player had not suffered a more serious injury like an ACL tear.
"The big thing is ruling out the ACL, that would've been an extended amount of time, so we're hopeful that it's not too long," Timberwolves head coach Tom Thibodeau said. While Thibodeau added that it would be impossible to "individually" replace Butler, they will have to deal with the future games without him.
Meanwhile, Gibson also commented: "It still sucks he has a tough injury; all injuries are tough, but the doctors are saying some good things, so we'll see in a few weeks maybe."
Butler has already played 56 games in the season and led the team's shooting stats with an average of 22.2 points per game.
