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Timberwolves Roundup: Power rankings, Jimmy Butler in the media

By Ben Beecken

OAKLAND, CA - NOVEMBER 8: Jimmy Butler #23 of the Minnesota Timberwolves look on against the Golden State Warriors on November 8, 2017 at ORACLE Arena in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images)
OAKLAND, CA - NOVEMBER 8: Jimmy Butler #23 of the Minnesota Timberwolves look on against the Golden State Warriors on November 8, 2017 at ORACLE Arena in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Through the first 11 games of the season, it would be fair to say that the Timberwolves are officially living up to expectations. Also, Jimmy Butler is continuing his media tour with his new team.

What if I told the October 15th version of yourself that the Timberwolves would be 7-4 through eleven games, including a 4-1 home record with half of the losses coming on the road to the Warriors and the Spurs.

Methinks that the October 15th version of yourself would be pleased, if not pleasantly surprised.

Sure, things have been uneven, as a -2.5 point differential (fourth-worst in the West) would suggest. But overall, the Wolves have been a good basketball team. And with a relatively easy schedule for the rest of the month of November, it should continue for the foreseeable future.

What are folks saying on the national level? Prior to Wednesday night’s blowout at the hands of Golden State, ESPN ranked the Wolves fourth in the entire NBA in their weekly power rankings. And, truth be told, that likely won’t change a whole lot next week, either, provided the Wolves take care of business in Phoenix on Saturday night to complete a rare week with only two games played.

ESPN’s The Hoop Collective podcast spent about five minutes of their Wednesday podcast (yes, prior to Warriors blowout) discussing the Timberwolves. Nick Friedell, who was the ESPN Chicago reporter that most recently covered the Tom Thibodeau-era Bulls, and he spent much of the segment discussing Coach Thibs’ perspective on the Wolves’ 7-3 start to the season. This mostly includes Jimmy Butler’s role as a defender and a closer, and that Thibodeau’s patience will no doubt wear thin if the Wolves’ defensive effort does not improve.

Speaking of Butler, let’s take another spin around Jimmy’s spin through the media, as the good folks on a national level get their interviews in with the Minnesota version of Jimmy Butler. (We covered this over the summer here at DWW, but in case you forgot: Jimmy Butler is awesome at the media game. So, so good.)

Prior to the road trip, Sam Alipour of ESPN.com visited Butler in Minnesota and…went canoeing. And Butler fell out of the canoe. Check out the video if you somehow missed it, and don’t forget to read the article in it’s entirety, although it will appear in the November 13 edition of ESPN The Magazine.

Sam Amick of USA Today spent time with Butler in advance of Wednesday’s night’s debacle at Oracle Arena, and while there isn’t anything groundbreaking in the interview, Butler does expand a bit on his comments regarding his former coach (and current Chicago Bulls head coach) Fred Hoiberg.

Next: Brian's Breakdown: Timberwolves forced out of comfort zone

We’ll be back on Friday with another roundup as we get you ready for Saturday night’s Wolves-Suns tilt from the desert.

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