On Friday, The Ringer updated their top 100 NBA player rankings. Their previous update came on December 22.
Altogether, 5 players on the Minnesota Timberwolves made the top 100: Anthony Edwards, Julius Randle, Rudy Gobert, Jaden McDaniels, and Naz Reid. They are the only team with four players in the top 53, and five in the top 70. It’s that high-level talent that makes the Timberwolves a title contender (particularly if they can make a deal to improve their depth by the February 5 trade deadline).
Anthony Edwards leads the way
Leading the way, of course, is Ant-Man. The 25-year-old Edwards placed sixth, up one spot from late December. The five players ahead of him (in order from 1-5) are Nikola Jokic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Luka Doncic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Victor Wembanyama.
The next Minnesota player on the list, up three spots from the previous update, is Randle at No. 34. The 31-year-old power forward has moved up substantially since the start of the season, as he was No. 48 in The Ringer’s preseason ranks.
Another frontcourt player on the Timberwolves who has steadily risen is Gobert. Now in his 13th season, the four-time Defensive Player of the Year is at No. 39. He was No. 50 in December, but the rise comes as The Stifle Tower is again one of the singular best defensive players in the league.
The only player who saw his ranking drop from December is Jaden McDaniels. The 25-year-old fell two spots from #51 to #53. It’s a bit surprising that he would see a small dip as McDaniels is in the midst of his best offensive season while still providing All-Defensive caliber work on the other end.
Coming in at No. 70 (after being at No. 74 in December) is Reid, a favorite to win Sixth Man of the Year for the second time in his career. The 26-year-old super-sub played some of the best basketball of his career in January after somewhat of a slow start to begin the year (understandable with things going on in his personal life).
Wolves first to four and five players on list
The Timberwolves are the only team that has four players listed in the top 53 of The Ringer’s player rankings. The next team to see four on the list is the New York Knicks, as Mikal Bridges being at No. 54 is the fourth-highest member of NY.
Minnesota is also the first team to 5, being the only 1 to have that many in the top 70. The Oklahoma City Thunder have 5 in the top 74, with Alex Caruso being placed there as OKC’s fifth-highest ranked player.
A team needs high-level talent to be a title contender, and it’s why the Timberwolves are seen as one of the possible teams that could topple the Thunder and win the Western Conference come playoff time. They didn’t have anyone else from 71-100, but Donte DiVincenzo certainly has a case to be considered a top-100 player. Adding depth to help bolster the bench outside of Reid would improve the Wolves’ title odds even more.