Timberwolves: BR’s ranking of TWolves’ lineup too high?

It’s truly an exciting time to be a Minnesota Timberwolves fan. With one of the most talented starting lineups in the NBA, expectations are growing higher and higher for the Wolves.

On Monday, Bleacher Report published their ranking of every starting lineup in the NBA from one through 30, tabbing D’Angelo Russell, Anthony Edwards, Jaden McDaniels, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Rudy Gobert as the eighth best starting five in the league.

BR’s article cited Gobert’s presence on the floor as one of their main reasons for the ranking, since he is likely to usher in a top-notch defense with his arrival in Minnesota. Anthony Edwards’ potential ascent to stardom and Jaden McDaniels’ upside were among the other chief reasons listed for the Wolves being ranked eighth.

The only starting lineups that BR thinks are better than Minnesota’s are those of the Suns, Nets, Nuggets, Clippers, 76ers, Celtics, and Warriors, with the Timberwolves being listed ahead of teams like the Bucks, Grizzlies, and Mavericks.

Are The Timberwolves Ranked Too High?

Even with as much star power as the Wolves possess now, this could be seen as a rather ambitious ranking. After all, we are talking about a team that hasn’t yet won a playoff series with its core group of players.

It will undoubtedly take some time for Rudy Gobert to completely mesh with his teammates, and for Chris Finch to incorporate all the ways they can use their All-Star center. Outside critics are going to be skeptical of the on-court fit, at least until the team takes the floor. However, given time to properly acclimate as teammates, I think there’s no reason this can’t be a top-eight starting lineup in the NBA, or even higher.

Minnesota Has The League’s Best Big Man Duo

In terms of frontcourt duos, the Timberwolves have arguably the best one in the entire league. With six All-Star appearances and six All-NBA teams between the two, there’s only a small handful of big men teammates that even have an argument of being on their level. The effectiveness of their fit together can be disputed, but even individually, they’re all-world talents. Until proven otherwise, it’s Gobert/Towns and then everyone else.

The other most important piece to the puzzle is Anthony Edwards, and he’s already one of the brightest young stars in basketball. The expectation is that he’s set for a leap this upcoming season. But even if he were to simply maintain his level of play from last year, he’ll still be far better than the average shooting guard, and a problem for defenses on a nightly basis.

To round things out, D’Angelo Russell is a very solid and consistent playmaker and scorer. And Jaden McDaniels is on a path to becoming one of the better young wings in the NBA.

In total, BR didn’t overrate the Timberwolves’ starting lineup by placing them at eighth. This was a very appropriate ranking of a star-studded team, or possibly even a slight undersell.