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The Minnesota Timberwolves just can’t get a break. Well, they got a literal break today when Kevin Love fractured his right hand during a workout, which will keep him out of action for six-to-eight weeks. Ricky Rubio, who tore his ACL last season, will also miss the first six weeks of the season, which means Minnesota will be missing their two best players for at least the first 15 games.

I had high hopes for the T’Wolves entering this season – I thought they could sneak into the playoffs – but now that they’ll be without Rubio and Love for such a significant portion of the season, it’s hard to see them overcoming what will likely be an early hole in the loaded Western Conference. It is possible for Minnesota to get something positive out of this situation, though, as second year forward Derrick Williams will get more playing time with Love down. The Timberwolves aren’t sure what they have in Williams right now and giving him a solid month of starting experience could give David Kahn and Rick Adelman a better read on what kind of asset Williams is.

The Chase Down Block Chris Berry Interactive Chris Berry Interactive