Ricky Rubio's Ankle Sprain Short-Circuits Timberwolves' Growth

ORLANDO — There aren't many teams in the NBA relying on a 24-year-old to serve as the steady hand. The Minnesota Timberwolves, with five players even younger, are one such team, however, which is why their season couldn't have taken a worse turn than it did Friday night, in a 112-103 overtime loss to the Magic. 

Ricky Rubio, who had begun to validate his four-year, $55 million extension with the strongest start of his career, added six more assists in his first 13 minutes against the Magic before he grotesquely twisted his left ankle while driving to the basket against Willie Green. He eventually rose to his feet but needed assistance getting to the locker room. 

"There was no question it was like someone popped a balloon when Ricky got hurt," Timberwolves coach Flip Saunders said after the 112-103 loss. "Ricky has been kind of our leader; he's been the heart of our team." 

While Saunders said the X-ray didn't reveal a break, he expressed concern that it could be a high ankle sprain—which can require several weeks of recovery.

"He popped it pretty good," Saunders said. 

It looked really bad.

John Raoux/Associated Press

"The injury looks like he's going to be out for a while," veteran Mo Williams said. "So we've just got to rally around that." 

Williams replaced Rubio in the lineup Friday, playing 31 minutes, and ultra-athletic 19-year-old rookie Zach LaVine performed with some poise in the first extended stint (eight minutes) of his NBA career. Still, the Timberwolves often appeared ragged down the stretch, relying too much on Thaddeus Young and Kevin Martin to create something from nothing. They shoot over 50 percent from the floor with Rubio in the game, and well under 40 percent with him out of it. 

"We're gonna have to change how we play now," Saunders said. "Ricky initiated the offense. Our offense was starting to really click and also defensively. We're going to have to change on the fly how we play." 

Center Nikola Pekovic agreed, saying, "Now everything is going to be a little different for us for sure."

The biggest change will come for Williams, the team's oldest player at age 31. He has started 478 games in his career but none since the 2012-13 season with Utah. He was signed to bring some playmaking and shooting ability to the reserve group.

"I have to change my mentality, being with the starting lineup, more so than being with the second unit," Williams said. "It's going to be an adjustment, but I'm up for the task...I'm going to have to mix it up. Obviously, they're going to need my scoring, but at the same time, got to feed Big Pek, we have Thad and we have K-Mart, so I've got to turn into that fourth option.

"And we got (Andrew Wiggins) out there; we're going to run some stuff for him too. So I'm going to have to play more so off of guys, so I have to be more efficient when I do get my looks." 

They won't have much time to alter their approach.

Saturday night, they're in Miami.