The Minnesota Timberwolves are one of the hottest teams in the NBA. They have won three straight games, including victories over some of the best teams in the NBA. The winning streak was started with a victory over the Denver Nuggets, who are 7-1 on the season. The same can be said about the Boston Celtics, who were delivered their first loss of the season also by the Timberwolves.
That has led to Minnesota surging up the NBA Power Rankings over at ESPN. Last week, they were far down the rankings, coming in at No. 20. This week, they made a massive jump, coming in at No. 6.
The only teams ahead of the Timberwolves this week are the Nuggets, Celtics, Philadelphia 76ers, Golden State Warriors and Dallas Mavericks. Minnesota will be playing a home-and-home with Golden State to finish off this week.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Anthony Edwards, Karl-Anthony Towns, Minnesota Timberwolves Updates
“Anthony Edwards put up 38 points, including eight in overtime, as the Timberwolves handed the Celtics their first loss. Minnesota has won three straight, owns the league’s best defense and is 4-0 at home for the first time since 2002-03. Edwards is playing like a star, averaging 28.2 points, 6.7 rebounds and 4.8 assists on 52% shooting. Owners of the NBA’s toughest schedule so far, the Wolves round out this road trip against the Pelicans on Wednesday,” wrote Jamal Collier.
Getting out of the gate with as good of a record as the Timberwolves have is very impressive. As Collier noted, they have faced the toughest schedule to date and have made it through with a 4-2 record. That is a good sign of things to come as the franchise looks to cement its standing amongst the playoff contenders in the Western Conference.
While Edwards is the engine that makes this team go, they have received excellent contributions from other players. Naz Reid has been excellent as the backup big man, averaging 15.7 points and 4.5 rebounds in 23.8 minutes per game off the bench.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Anthony Edwards, Karl-Anthony Towns, Minnesota Timberwolves Updates
He has an elite shooting split of .557/.464/.929, picking up the slack as Karl-Anthony Towns is off to a slow start. The fit between he and Rudy Gobert still seems a bit awkward, but Gobert is doing his part with 12 points, 12.3 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game.
Health will be important to the Timberwolves reaching the level they feel capable of. At full strength, they are one of the tougher teams to match up against in the NBA with their offensive firepower and group of stellar defenders.
Want the latest NBA analysis, breaking news, and insider information? Click Here. Follow NBA Analysis Network on Twitter and Facebook.
Interested in reading the latest storylines and analysis in the NFL? Check out our partner NFL Analysis Network.
