NEW ORLEANS - It's a good thing Ricky Rubio is ready to return Saturday after nine months away, because the Timberwolves need fresh bodies just to keep up with their injuries.
Rubio is expected to make his season debut against Dallas provided everybody agrees the time is right at a meeting with management and medical staff earlier in the day.
He arrives just as shooting guard Malcolm Lee -- made a starter out of necessity -- has been declared out indefinitely because of a right knee injury.
Just-returned Josh Howard left Friday's game in the second quarter because of a hyperextended knee. And Kevin Love's injured thumb could also keep him out.
The team announced Friday that Lee has a "chrondal" injury -- a degenerative knee condition involving damaged cartilage -- that will be examined further to decide what's next. He had surgery twice on his left knee in 2011.
Russian rookie guard Alexey Shved made his first career NBA start Friday on a night when the Wolves played with just three healthy guards in New Orleans. Howard played some shooting guard before getting injured Friday while Rubio remained in Minnesota and worked out with medical personnel to prep for his return.
Coach Rick Adelman said Rubio has passed every evaluation needed for him to play.
"We just have to OK it, or he does, somebody does," Adelman said. "I don't know who it is. Obviously, he's been doing well. I would imagine [he plays] unless something happens. In our case, you never want to know. You just have to wait and see.