As Minnesota Timberwolves fans are well aware, life has been difficult for this team since injury troubles began plaguing them more heavily last month. Chris Finch has done a good job of expanding the rotation and getting more out of certain guys, but having the likes of Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo sidelined for the last week few weeks has been far from ideal.
Now, the Wolves have provided a significant update on the progress of both these players as they look to return to the hardwood. According to a release on the NBA's official website, DiVincenzo has been cleared for non-basketball activities, while Randle has been cleared for full-contact, 5-on-5 basketball practice activities.
Both players will remain out of the lineup for the time being as they continue to make progress in their return-to-play programs, and the team says that more updates will be provided as appropriate. Both of these updates are solid pieces of news given what we know about each player's injury.
DiVincenzo and Randle are making progress
We knew that Randle's groin strain was not considered a major injury, so it is reassuring to see him making this kind of progress. Julius left Minnesota's game with the Utah Jazz back on January 30 after aggravating his groin, and he has missed the Timberwolves' last eight games since then. We certainly expected him back on the court before DiVincenzo, so this update tracks with expectations.
As for Donte, we were expecting a report on his condition any day now. Back on Friday, Jan. 24, the Timberwolves announced that DiVincenzo would be re-evaluated in three weeks' time. It was on that date that Donte had undergone an exam that showed "a stable turf toe injury with a partial tear of the plantar ligament, not requiring surgery." We knew that his injury would require more recovery time than Randle's, but it was looking like he would be back in action by the end of February or early March.
As of right now, that could still be the case. Again, no timelines have been made official, but we will likely see both these guys back in uniform before long.