Where the Minnesota Timberwolves Stand in Latest NBA Power Rankings

With the season now in full swing, the Minnesota Timberwolves have very high standards that they are struggling to fulfill. They are currently at 27-22, which is good enough for 7th place in the Western Conference. The focus is on getting the new core to flow better, and fast. Chris Finch has been mixing lineups up recently and it has them trending upwards, winning 4 straight.
The Timberwolves have a superstar of their own in Anthony Edwards, who now holds all of the pressure that he used to share with KAT. The Wolves traded KAT just in time for the season to start and have set themselves back a bit in terms of immediate success.
Related: Timberwolves Eyeing Blockbuster Trade For All-Star Point Guard
Minnesota Timberwolves vs NBA Power Rankings
As we look around the internet at various NBA power rankings released by most of the major media outlets across the web, we’ll find the Timberwolves near moving towards top, after some time looking up at the rest of the league.

The below power rankings are monitored and updated multiple times per week. We can’t control how often these media outlets update their power rankings and some wait multiple weeks between updates. But please let us know if you notice any of them are out of date
The Athletic
The Athletic’s NBA power rankings have the Minnesota Timberwolves ranked 12th.
Here’s what The Athletic’s Law Murray is saying (Jan 28:)
“Tier 3: The Bubble”
“Minnesota’s biggest issue is that no team plays more clutch-time games, and only the Hornets have lost more of them this season than the Timberwolves. The other side of this is that Minnesota is much more likely to blow out its opponent than the other way around. Can the Wolves get center Rudy Gobert to be more active in rim protection? Minnesota is 6-2 this season when Gobert has more than two blocks in a game. But last season, the Timberwolves were 22-3 when Gobert had more than two blocks in a game.“
Related: Timberwolves’ Anthony Edwards Named to NBA All-Star Roster
CBS
The CBS NBA power rankings have the Wolves ranked 13th.
Here’s what CBS’ Colin Ward Henninger is saying (Jan. 30th):
“Four straight wins for the Wolves, who have been getting it done on both ends of the floor. Jaden McDaniels is one of the key components, as he’s starting to turn around his disappointing season with averages of 14 points, seven rebounds and two steals on 55/41/82 splits over his last 10 games.”
NBA.com
The NBA.com power rankings have the Timberwolves ranked 10th.
Here’s what Jon Schuhmann is saying (Jan.27):
“The Wolves blew a fourth-quarter lead in Memphis last Monday, but recovered to get good wins over the Mavs (winning the season series) and Nuggets.“
Æ is must-see tv. 🐜 pic.twitter.com/wS86r7Q35H
— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) January 30, 2025
Bleacher Report
The Bleacher Report NBA power rankings have the Minnesota Timberwolves ranked 8th.
Here’s what Andy Bailey is saying (Jan. 31):
“It feels like the Minnesota Timberwolves are finally starting to find a little rhythm in 2024-25. After blowing out the Utah Jazz on Thursday, Minnesota has now won five straight and is 10-4 in its last 14 games. And you don’t have to look much further than Anthony Edwards for reasons for the surge. Over his last 15 games, Ant is putting up 31.3 points, 5.7 assists and 4.5 threes, while shooting 46.4 percent from the field and 45.3 percent from three.
Related: Revealed: “Derogatory” Comments That Got Chris Finch Ejected from Wolves vs Suns
Sportsnaut
The Sportsnaut power rankings have Minnesota ranked 12th.
Here’s what Jason Burgos is saying (Jan. 28):
“The Minnesota Timberwolves were one of the best squads in the NBA all of last season. However, they chose to make a bold preseason trade that sent team great Karl-Anthony Towns to New York. The deal has backfired because both Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo have been disappointments in Minnesota. While their defense is still among the best in the NBA (107.7 points against) they are bottom 10 in offense without KAT being the secondary option behind Anthony Edwards.”
ESPN
The ESPN NBA power rankings have Minnesota ranked 11th
Here’s what ESPN is saying (Jan. 29:)
“Wolves coach Chris Finch took issue with the team’s second-half performance during a win over the Hawks on Monday, calling out the best players for not coming out with more intensity. Minnesota has still won three games in a row, climbing up to seventh place in the Western Conference. They’ll have a chance to win back the confidence of their coaches, beginning with back-to-back road games in Phoenix and Utah. The Wolves then return home to host the Wizards and Kings. — Collier“
Related: Souhan Reintroduces Concerns Over Lore + A-Rod Financial Stability
4 IN A ROWWWW. sounds familiar. 😉 pic.twitter.com/GG2a0jrb2z
— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) January 30, 2025
NBC
The NBC NBA power rankings have the Minnesota Timberwolves ranked 10th.
Here’s what Kurt Helin is saying (Jan.29):
“Why is it hard to believe Minnesota can be an elite squad in the West this season? Because of their clutch-time stats. The Timberwolves have played in 29 clutch games (within five points in the final five minutes) and are 13-16 in those games with a -17.2 net rating in those minutes and a dreadful 98.5 offensive rating. A lot of Wolves fans are pointing fingers at Anthony Edwards, who is -49 in those clutch minutes, the worst ranking in the league (he is shooting 39.1% in the clutch on 64 shot attempts). While Edwards can rely too much on hero ball against double-teams, he’s also dealing with a clogged paint and teams shifting their defense toward him because they don’t fear anyone else. This is a roster issue as much as an Edwards issue.“
USA TODAY
The USA Today NBA power rankings have the Wolves ranked 13th.
Here’s what USA Today is saying (Jan.29):
“Recent victories against Denver and Dallas are encouraging, but can the Timberwolves eliminate the inconsistency that has them in the play-in game format right now?”
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