Minnesota Timberwolves: Week Eight in the power rankings

The Minnesota Timberwolves continue to slide rapidly down league-wide power rankings as their league-worst losing streak continues.

Believe it or not, reviewing the Minnesota Timberwolves‘ standing in various power rankings was a lot more fun before the Wolves’ ongoing 11-game losing streak.

Alas, Ryan Saunders’ squad has a 10-19 record and have lost to the two worst teams in the Western Conference in the past week. The Wolves themselves now have the third-worst record in the West, of course, but have found themselves with New Orleans and Golden State in the cellar at least in part due to Karl-Anthony Towns‘ injury-induced absence over the past four games.

Now, the Wolves will continue to await Towns’ return, as well as Shabazz Napier, who missed Monday’s loss to the Warriors due to illness. Both are questionable, according to Timberwolves PR. Jake Layman remains out with a sprained toe, and doesn’t appear to be terribly close to returning to action.

Without Towns, there is no apparent bottom to just how badly the Wolves could play, and that’s reflected in Week Eight of the league-wide power rankings.

ESPN

Last Week: No. 21
This Week: No. 24

ESPN continues to give little context to their ranking, but the Wolves remained ahead of the likes of Washington, Golden State, and New Orleans — all teams that Minnesota has lost to already thi season.

NBA.com

Last Week: No. 22
This Week: No. 27

We can always count on NBA.com to call a spade a spade. They note the Wolves’ ineptitude from the perimeter, sans Towns: Robert Covington, Josh Okogie, Jarett Culver, and Treveon Graham have shot a combined 39-of-138 (28 percent) during their current losing streak.

CBS Sports

Last Week: No. 24
This Week: No. 24

CBS Sports declined to drop the Wolves in the rankings despite yet another winless week. They complimented Andrew Wiggins and Gorgui Dieng for carrying the Wolves’ offense in Towns absence but call out the rest of the roster for a lack of help.

SI.com’s The Crossover

Last Week: No. 18
This Week: No. NR

The Crossover appears to have taken a week off from their NBA Power Rankings, but here’s guessing that the Wolves would have slid to into the lower 20s over at SI.com.

The Wolves will still have a couple of chances to win this week with a road game at Sacramento on Thursday night and a home date with the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday. Here’s hoping for a sudden turn around while there’s still time to salvage the season.