MINNEAPOLIS -- Turns out the injury that's kept Ricky Rubio out the past 10 weeks is more severe than the Timberwolves were letting on.
Coming to Rubio's defense ahead of Wednesday night's home game against Dallas, Flip Saunders divulged the point guard's ailment is "even worse than a high-ankle sprain" -- the terminology used to characterize the injury Rubio suffered Nov. 7 at Orlando that's kept him out ever since. There's still no timetable for his return, but it was expected he'd be back by now.
According to Saunders, there are tears in the muscles that lead to Rubio's foot, causing him some discomfort in his toes. That's in addition to a bone bruise in an ankle that was originally swollen in a shape resembling the "state of Texas" after Rubio rolled it driving to the basket against the Magic, Saunders said.
Until Wednesday, Saunders hadn't offered much explanation as to why Rubio's absence has been so prolonged. But a local blog criticizing the 24-year-old Spaniard's work ethic and desire to return caused Saunders to open his pregame news conference with information intended to "clear the air," the coach and president of basketball operations said.
"Anyone that's been around the team knows that there's no one that works any harder than him," Saunders said. "Him not playing right now ... it has nothing to do with him not wanting to play or not working to try to play. He's doing everything he can."
That includes exerting maximum effort in his rehab, Saunders said, causing coaches and trainers to have to "hold him back." In the past three weeks, two separate specialists have examined Rubio's ankle and told him if he pushes it too hard, he runs the risk of sustaining a stress fracture.
Rubio had hoped to be back by Christmas. Saunders hinted at a possible mid-January return date.
But those junctures have come and gone.
"The last couple months, I've been sitting out," Rubio, who signed a four-year, $56 million extension just days before his injury, said in a recent interview with Wolves Radio. "It's been hard for me to watch the team from the outside."
Rubio's been participating in 2-on-2 and 3-on-3 scenarios during practice and Tuesday underwent physical contact for the first time since he exited the lineup.
But until Rubio can cut effectively, he won't be cleared for 5-on-5 work.
And the question marks will continue. But they shouldn't involve Rubio's want-to, Saunders said.
"I told him he's his own worst enemy," Saunders said. "As I told Ricky, he's one of those guys that two aspirin's great, four aspirin's unbelievable and eight is off the chart. I said when you're rehabbing, sometimes that's not the best way to really look at things."
Pek in, K-Mart still out: Saunders announced before Wednesday's game injured center Nikola Pekovic will make his first appearance since Nov. 15. Pekovic has missed the past 31 games with ankle and wrist issues.
Shooting guard Kevin Martin, who's close to returning from a fractured right wrist, remains inactive. He's missed Minnesota's past 30 contests.
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