The Wolves likely will start four players with a year's experience or less Wednesday night against New York at Target Center now that starters Nikola Pekovic, Thad Young and, yes, Ricky Rubio aren't expected to play.
Coach Flip Saunders said after Tuesday's practice that Pekovic is out the rest of the week not because of that troublesome sore ankle but because of a sprained right wrist sustained in Saturday's loss at Dallas.
Saunders said managing Pekovic's soreness and pain in his ankle/foot is an ongoing issue, but said his absence for games against the Knicks, Spurs and Kings is due to the wrist injury.
He said Pekovic will be evaluated early next week.
Young also is out at least until Sunday while he's away from the team following his mother's death. Her funeral is Friday.
Rubio was at practice again today, on crutches. Saunders said Rubio's sprained ankle won't be evaluated until he is off crutches and can place some weigh to that foot, which probably will be sometime next week.
For now, the Wolves are expected to start rookies Andrew Wiggins and Zach LaVine as well as second-year players Anthony Bennett and Gorgui Dieng.
"We'll be a little undermanned, but we'll be ready to go," Saunders said after Tuesday's practice. "No one got hurt today, so that's a positive."
