Editor’s Note: Throughout this season, Jeremy will be providing his reactions to how various NBA Power Rankings list the Wolves on Mondays. Hope you enjoy this series!
The Minnesota Timberwolves hope they can maintain their status as one of the top teams in the Western Conference for the 2026-27 season.
The Wolves have won a playoff series in each of the last three years and have been one of the West’s contenders, but they look a lot different this year. The team traded Julius Randle to the Brooklyn Nets and Naz Reid to the Charlotte Hornets, but they also acquired LaMelo Ball and signed Jonathan Kuminga in free agency, giving them a fresh look and a chance to get
over the hump in the West this year.
Bleacher Report contributor, Andy Bailey, conducted a recent power rankings, where the Wolves clock in at number six.
“Although Rudy Gobert should uphold much of the defense, losing Julius Randle and Naz Reid means the Minnesota Timberwolves will have a slightly different identity than they’ve had in recent years,” Bailey wrote. “That’ll take some getting used to, but the upside is potentially higher with LaMelo Ball around to make life easier for Anthony Edwards.
“LaMelo is one of the best playmakers and distributors in the league. He commands far more respect as a three-point shooter than Randle did. He and Ant could be the most explosive backcourt in the NBA. If Gobert and McDaniels can keep this team in or around the top 10 on defense and Ball can charge the offense a bit, the Timberwolves will stay in the mix for a championship.”
The only teams that rank ahead of the Wolves are the Boston Celtics, Philadelphia 76ers, New York Knicks, Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs. This is pretty standard to where the Wolves have been over the last couple of seasons just behind the league’s top contenders. With only two West teams ahead of them, they definitely have a chance to be the best in the conference this season.
The way the Wolves can move up in the power rankings is if their new players make a large impact. The success of the season will likely be determined by how well Ball and Kuminga work within the rotation. Ball comes to the Wolves as a former All-Star, and Minnesota would need him to play up to that level to form one of the best backcourts in the game alongside Anthony Edwards.
The vision is there for the Wolves to finally take their step into the limelight, but it all starts with putting in the work for training camp.
Canis Hoopus community, how do you feel about Minnesota’s placement in the power rankings? Let us know in the comments section below.
