The Minnesota Timberwolves have been fortunate to not have a great deal of injury trouble so far this season. Mike Conley missed a handful of games back in November, but that is basically the extent of the major injury issues the Wolves have suffered from, at least when it comes to the top eight players in their rotation.
But that all changed on Monday afternoon. After missing a couple of games with what was presumed to be a minor toe sprain, the Timberwolves announced that Donte DiVincenzo has officially been diagnosed with a Grade 3 left great toe sprain, and will be out indefinitely.
Now all of a sudden, everything changes for Minnesota. After stepping in as the team's new starter at point guard in place of Mike Conley, DiVincenzo will now be forced to the sideline and have to undergo a recovery process, the length of which is yet to be determined.
DiVincenzo has a Grade 3 sprain in his left great toe
The official release from the Timberwolves' website states that the team is "currently seeking a second opinion to determine the best treatment options going forward," and that further updates on Donte's progress will be provided when available. In the meantime, Chris Finch, his staff and the rest of Minnesota's roster will have a big task in adjusting to life without him.
DiVincenzo had been playing incredibly well as of late, especially since stepping into a starting role. He was averaging 22.6 points over his last three outings, making a total of 15 three-pointers in that stretch. Donte's play was certainly a part of the offensive improvement we have seen from this Timberwolves team as of late.
Being without him is going to present a massive challenge. A tear of this nature is far from minor, and will recover a somewhat lengthy treatment process.
A Grade 3 sprain of the great toe indicates a complete tear of the plantar plane, meaning it will be anywhere between two to six months before DiVincenzo can be back on the basketball court. Obviously, if the time frame leans toward the latter half of that estimate, he would be out for the remainder of the 2024-25 season.