3 Minnesota Timberwolves players are too low in ESPN’s rankings

The Minnesota Timberwolves might have three players in ESPN’s top 100 rankings, but each of them was ranked too low in comparison to their peers.

The Minnesota Timberwolves have one true superstar. That much is indisputable.

But what Wolves’ brass thinks they have around that superstar clearly isn’t thought of in the same way by the general public. That is, at least not if ESPN’s annual player rankings are any indication.

ESPN ranked three Wolves players in the top 100 (subscription required). But only one player was in the top 25 — or even in the top 50. That came as a bit of a surprise, especially in light of some of the other player ranking exercises out there.

Let’s go through it, starting with Ricky Rubio. Then, D’Angelo Russell and Karl-Anthony Towns.

Minnesota Timberwolves guard Ricky Rubio ranked No. 93 by ESPN

Rubio was ranked No. 84 last year by ESPN. Then, he went out and started 65 games (out of 73) for a resurgent Phoenix Suns squad that went 8-0 in the bubble. He helped take Devin Booker from high-volume scorer and terrible defender to true stardom. (Incidentally, Booker ranked No. 30 on last year’s ESPN list. He jumped to No. 17 this year.)

Not only that, but Rubio’s individual game improved, too. He shot a career-best 36.1 percent on 3-point attempts, including 37.9 percent from the corners, and his assist rate clocked in at 39.7 percent — Rubio’s best since 2015-16, the second-to-last season in his first go-round with the Wolves.

By almost any measure this was one of Rubio’s best years in the league, if not his best. In terms of team success, he was a key leader on a rising team in the rough-and-tumble Western Conference.

Just ask Booker himself about what Rubio brings to the table. From Jace Frederick of the Pioneer Press:

"…a reporter asked Booker this week if playing alongside Rubio made life for the elite scorer easier “at times.” “Easier at times?” Booker asked. “Easier at all times.” … From his playmaking to his impact on the franchise’s culture, Rubio changed the trajectories of both Phoenix and Booker for the better. “I’ll never forget what he’s done for my career,” Booker said."

Yes, this ESPN ranking is not being done in a vacuum; just because a player has improved his own game year-over-year doesn’t mean he could not have been surpassed by another player.

But ranking the likes of Mitchell Robinson (No. 92), Buddy Hield (No. 87), and former Jazz teammate Joe Ingles (No. 91) ahead of Rubio seemed to be … suspect, at best. There are some other questionable ones, too, including John Wall coming off a major injury at No. 81 and Josh Richardson at No. 80, to name a couple.

To be clear, Rubio’s ranking isn’t egregious. Something around the No. 80 mark, slightly higher than last year’s placement, seems about right.

Now, on to the most egregious of the Wolves’ rankings…

Minnesota Timberwolves guard D’Angelo Russell ranked No. 69 by ESPN

Let’s be honest: D’Angelo Russell probably should not have been an All-Star two years ago with the Brooklyn Nets.

Believe it or not, Russell was ranked No. 24 on last year’s ESPN player rankings list. That was — and still would be — way too high.

So, how did that happen? Russell led an exciting and surprising Brooklyn Nets team to 42 wins and a playoff berth in 2018-19. He has a silky crossover, makes head-snapping passes, and can splash jumpers from anywhere on the court. Plus, he played in a big market and had just been traded to another popular franchise in the Golden State Warriors.

But Russell has never been a top-25 player in the NBA, nor is he ever likely to achieve the right to make that claim.

Now that we have that out of the way, let’s be clear: there are not 68 players better than D’Angelo Russell (subscription required for ESPN article). Before we get into some of the hard evidence, here are some examples of other lists disagreeing.

Before last season, Sports Illustrated’s player rankings had Russell at No. 44. (For reference, here are the Wolves players who made that list: Andrew Wiggins, Jeff Teague, Robert Covington, and Towns, who clocked in at No. 13.) This year’s list from Bleacher Report came out in July, and Russell was No. 45.

That feels about right, doesn’t it? Here’s a portion of what yours truly said about D’Lo’s B/R ranking from this offseason.

"…Russell was moved from Brooklyn to Golden State. Suddenly, the perception of DLo changed from rising superstar finally realizing his potential to a high-usage, shoot-first, no-defense point guard putting up numbers on bad teams. Of course, had Steph Curry not been injured early in the 2019-20 campaign, things may have looked differently. Instead, Russell was forced to be what was essentially a one-man show on the worst team in the league, and his all-around game suffered because of it. At his best, Russell is a creative distributer with the ability to score from virtually anywhere on the court. He can dominate in the pick-and-roll and has developed limitless range with a quick trigger. Defense is still an issue, and if he wanted to take the next step offensively he’ll either need to add a couple of points to his 3-point shooting percentage or somehow start getting into the paint and drawing fouls more often."

Indeed, Russell is suffering from a swing in perceptions. He was overrated in 2018-19, and the course correction on that is suddenly criminally underrating the 2019 All-Star.

Indeed, is Tyler Herro (No. 59) better than Russell? The answer is no. The postseason run was fun and yes, he was a key rotation member on the Eastern Conference champs. But he isn’t better than D’Lo. Zach LaVine (No. 56)? Closer, but no.

There are a handful more that could at least make a case, but dropping Russell from No. 26 to No. 69 is absurd. He had essentially the same season offensively with a fraction of the help around him and was penalized 43 spots on the list based on his defense.

A ranking somewhere in the No. 40 to No. 50 range feels about right. But No. 69? Far too low. Now, it’s up to Russell to show that this ranking was bogus.

Let’s talk about Towns.

Minnesota Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns ranked No. 23 by ESPN

It wasn’t long ago that Towns was a consensus top-15 or top-20 player with an agreed-upon upside of potentially being the best player in the league in short order.

Instead, a fallout with Jimmy Butler after Towns’ first All-Star appearance and lone season in which he led the Timberwolves to the playoffs led to the Wolves’ precipitous fall-off since Butler’s exit; Minnesota has just a 51-92 record since the trade in November 2018.

Of course, there have been myriad other factors: a new head coach, a new front office, massive roster turnover, and a pair of injuries in 2019-20 — the first (and second) time Towns has ever missed extended time in his professional career.

With that, Towns has seen his player ranking slide (subscription required) each of the past five years.

If Towns stays healthy and the Wolves are competitive, his ranking will absolutely rise from No. 23 and into the mid-teens at worst.

If Minnesota makes the playoffs or was to surprise and advance beyond the first round, Towns will receive plenty of attention as a top-15 or even top-10 player.

The main issue for Towns is team success. Yes, his defense has been poor to this point, but individual defense and team success seem to be something of a chicken-or-the-egg situation for Towns. If the Wolves become a playoff team, it will almost certainly be in large part because Towns (and, to a lesser extent, Russell) commit themselves to improve on the defensive end of the floor. If the Wolves improve, Towns will be recognized.

He’s unlikely to ever be an all-defense type of player, but his offense is so efficient and transcendent that even being an average defensive presence would get Towns onto an All-NBA team overnight.

Even with his shortcomings, it’s a bit surprising to see Towns outside the top 20. It is, however, understandable.

Russell’s ranking is the most egregious of the Wolves trio of top-100 players, but Towns and Rubio could each have complaints regarding their standing as well. Now, it’s time to roll the balls out and play and see if these rankings change at all over the next 12 months.