Sports Illustrated has released their annual top 100 players list, and, in a mild surprise, all five Minnesota Timberwolves starters are represented.
In case you hadn’t noticed, the talent level on the Minnesota Timberwolves’ roster has risen considerably over the past couple of years.
It wasn’t too long ago that getting one or two consensus top-100 players on any of the various player rankings that come down in September and October of each year would have been a huge victory.
In the Tom Thibodeau era, however, there has been a talent infusion on the roster, and all five starters from last year’s playoff squad have made the list.
We’ll take a look through each of their rankings on SI’s Top 100 Players of 2019 list, as well as who in their position group was ranked either directly above or beneath them, and whether or not we think the ranking is fair.
Let’s get into it by taking a look at the No. 83 player on the list…
No. 83 – Taj Gibson
Taj Gibson had somewhat of a career year last year at the ripe old age of 32, notching the second-highest point-per-game total in his career and a career-best in rebounds per game. He also played a career-high in minutes and shot a career-best 57.7 percent from the field.
He remains an outstanding team defender and is passable when covering the pick-and-roll in today’s NBA. Gibson is tough to move in the post and rebounds his position well for a 6-foot-9 (at best) power forward. In a way, Gibson is Tom Thibodeau’s safety blanket.
Gibson is ranked ahead of the likes of Brook Lopez (No. 99), Pau Gasol (No. 98), Dirk Nowitzki (No. 96), Kelly Olynyk (No. 93), Nikola Vucevic (No. 90), and Lauri Markannen (No. 84) as far as big men go, and just behind Domantas Sabonis (No. 79) and Serge Ibaka (No. 78).
There isn’t much to quibble about with this ranking; it seems about right for an always-solid, 33-year-old role player who can really only play one position.
Now, on to some more controversial picks…