Where the Minnesota Timberwolves Stand in Latest NBA Power Rankings

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NBA: Minnesota Timberwolves at Oklahoma City Thunder
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With the regular season now completed, the Minnesota Timberwolves are going to be in the playoffs, and avoided the play-in game as the #6 seed in the Western Conference. They finished the season with a 49-33 record, and now face Laker’s superstars Lebron James and Luka Doncic in the first round of the playoffs.

The Timberwolves have a superstar of their own in Anthony Edwards, who now holds all of the pressure that he used to share with Karl Anthony-Towns. The Wolves traded KAT just in time for the season to start, and have tried to keep the consistency throughout the year while battling the luxury tax.

Related: No Suspension for Anthony Edwards

Minnesota Timberwolves vs NBA Power Rankings

As we look around the internet at various NBA power rankings released by most of the major media outlets across the web, we’ll find the Timberwolves near moving towards top, after some time looking up at the rest of the league.

Minnnesota Timberwolves
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The below power rankings are monitored and updated multiple times per week. We can’t control how often these media outlets update their power rankings and some wait multiple weeks between updates. But please let us know if you notice any of them are out of date

The Athletic

The Athletic’s NBA power rankings have the Minnesota Timberwolves ranked 10th.

Here’s what The Athletic’s Law Murray is saying (Apr. 8:)

“This was certainly an adjustment season for Randle, who averaged his fewest points per game in seven seasons. But despite Randle missing all of February with a groin injury, Minnesota seemed to benefit from his decreased shot volume. Randle hasn’t averaged 20 points per game in a month since November, but he averaged 5.4 assists per game in March while Minnesota went 11-3. It doesn’t always look pretty with this team, but the Wolves have gotten it done in big moments. Few games exemplify that sentiment more than the end of regulation and the overtimes in Denver last week, a game in which Randle finished with 26 points and seven assists.“

Related: Nuggets Want Tim Connelly Back; Should Timberwolves be Concerned?

CBS

The CBS NBA power rankings have the Wolves ranked 11th.

Here’s what CBS’ Colin Ward Henninger is saying (Apr. 10):

“The Wolves are storming into the playoffs, going 14-4 since the calendar turned to March. Their offense has been electric over that stretch, averaging nearly 121 points per 100 possessions, while the defense sits in the top 10. Minnesota will likely finish this season with the fifth-most made 3-pointers in the NBA, up from 15th last year.”

NBA.com

The NBA.com power rankings have the Timberwolves ranked 7th.

Here’s what Jon Schuhmann is saying (Apr.7):

“The Wolves have won five straight games and are 14-3 (only the Celtics and Thunder have been better) since March 1. That has them in a four-way tie for the No. 5-8 spots in the West.“

One takeaway

“The Wolves have seen the league’s eighth biggest drop in winning percentage from last season, but they rank in the top 10 on both ends of the floor for what would be just the second time in franchise history. Their defense has remained solid, and (despite the departure of Karl-Anthony Towns) they’re one of 10 teams that have seen a jump in points scored per 100 possessions from 2023-24. Anthony Edwards has had the most efficient season of his career, but the jump has been more about his minutes off the floor..”

Bleacher Report

The Bleacher Report NBA power rankings have the Minnesota Timberwolves ranked 7th.

Here’s what Andy Bailey is saying (Apr. 14):

“It took a while for the Minnesota Timberwolves to adjust to life with Julius Randle in Karl-Anthony Towns’ place, but they have a top-five net rating since the All-Star break, and Randle is the team’s season-long leader in assists per game. His playmaking and ability to break defenses down from the perimeter has taken some pressure off Anthony Edwards. And the rest of a defensively stout roster has figured out how to ably support those two. Heading into the playoffs, despite a record that fell shy of Minnesota’s preseason over-under, it feels like the T-Wolves are about as dangerous as any team in the West. The basic stat line of 27.6 points, 5.7 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.2 steals make Edwards the easy call for Minnesota’s team MVP, but it’s not the most notable aspect of his season. He became the eighth player in league history to average 4.0-plus threes per game, joining Stephen Curry (nine times), Damian Lillard (three times), James Harden (twice), Luka Dončić, LaMelo Ball, Klay Thompson and Buddy Hield. And that level of outside shooting, in combination with Edwards’ slashing ability, has made him a genuine nightmare of a cover for opposing defenses.”

Related: Former Timberwolves Assistant Takes Over Nuggets Coaching Duties…

Sportsnaut

The Sportsnaut power rankings have Minnesota ranked 10th.

Here’s what Jason Burgos is saying (Apr. 8):

“The Minnesota Timberwolves seemingly took a step back this season after making a late summer blockbuster that shipped team legend Karl-Anthony Towns to New York. The two big returns in the deal — Julius Randle and Donte DiVencenzo seemed like bad fits, and their overall defense regressed. However, slowly but surely, Minnesota has gotten its groove back and is one of the hottest teams in the league heading into the playoffs. The ‘Wolves could be a dangerous darkhouse in the West.”

ESPN

The ESPN NBA power rankings have Minnesota ranked 11th

Here’s what ESPN is saying (Apr. 9:)

“The Wolves aspired to remain a championship contender despite trading franchise player Karl-Anthony Towns weeks before the start of the season. Up until a recent second-half season spark, the Wolves looked anything but playoff-ready. Minnesota was on a five-game winning streak before its devastating loss to the Bucks on Tuesday but are 14-4 since the start of March. It hasn’t been the smoothest season, and the Wolves are still fighting to stay out of the Western Conference play-in tournament but they’re gaining momentum at the right time to give themselves the best chance in the postseason. — Collier“

Related: Confirmed: Timberwolves’ Trade Interest in NBA Superstar is Mutual

NBC

The NBC NBA power rankings have the Minnesota Timberwolves ranked 11th.

Here’s what Kurt Helin is saying (Apr.9):

“The season started with management trading away Karl-Anthony Towns, leading to rough patches as Minnesota tried to find a new identity. That identity has come around of late, with the Timberwolves going 14-4 in their last 18, but Tuesday’s ugly come-from-ahead loss to Milwaukee (where Minnesota led by 24 with 10:09 left and got outscored) hurt. Huge game Thursday against Memphis, Minnesota needs that one to avoid the play-in.”

USA TODAY

The USA Today NBA power rankings have the Wolves ranked 6th.

Here’s what USA Today is saying (Apr. 14):

“Lady luck was on the Timberwolves’ side. A consequential 16th technical foul was rescinded for Anthony Edwards. That helped him dodge a one-game suspension in the finale against the Jazz. Turns out, Minnesota needed him as it barely avoided a doomsday loss. They will face the Lakers in the first round in an electric series filled with star names.”

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