Photo: Minnesota Timberwolves/Twitter

At first, it was assumed that Karl-Anthony Towns would miss four-to-six weeks to recover from the calf strain he sustained in late November, but it turned out worse for him and the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Towns told Jon Krawcyznski of The Athletic that further tests revealed that he got a Grade 3 strain and multiple tears in his calf that forced him to miss more games for Minnesota.

“I knew since day one it was going to be a long road, a Grade 3; I tore a lot of my calf,” Towns said. “It was like 95 percent torn off. I knew it wasn’t going to be an easy road. I was going to have to wait to do its thing, then reassure it’s going to do its thing, then lather it to make sure that it would hold together in the moment.”

The healing could have been completed in a 12-week timetable, but Towns further noted that he experienced “a major setback” in his rehabbing process back in late January. 

It was already determined when he posted an Instagram picture of himself wearing a walking boot while supporting the Philadelphia Eagles.

“It was obvious. You have a boot one day, then you’re out of a boot and now you’re back in a boot. That’s a setback,” Towns said, further declining to reveal what was the cause of the setback. “I think there will be a time and place to talk about that. But not right now.”

With this, Towns hoped that the T-Wolves could have been more transparent in disclosing his status, as the uncertainty of his health left a frustrating mark amongst the franchise fandom throughout this season.

“I wish we communicated a little better so the fans didn’t have a false narrative that I was the one holding off,” Towns said. “I’ve never in all my years have I done anything remotely close to that. I want fans to know that.”

With three weeks left to the season, Towns is optimistic that he can see himself back to the team.

As the franchise’s centerpiece, his absence served as a disrupting factor for the Timberwolves to contend. Right now, the ball club is in a tight position of Western Conference playoff contention, placed at ninth with a 36-37 record.

“I feel good there is a day (coming),” Towns said. “There’s a time. I’ve been in the darkness of the tunnel and trying to figure out where I’m going. It’s good to know that there’s some light at the end of the tunnel.”