Six Timberwolves players in the Ringer's top 100 rankings

Anthony Edwards is the highest-ranked Minnesota player at No. 14.

The Ringer released its updated list of the top 100 NBA players for the 2023-24 season, and while six Timberwolves players made the cut, the rankings are interesting, to say the least. 

The Timberwolves’ entire starting five are within the top 100 as is Sixth Man of the Year candidate Naz Reid. Anthony Edwards is the Timberwolves’ highest-ranked player, coming in at No. 14, somehow a spot behind New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson. One would have to imagine not too many NBA general managers would agree with that assessment. 

That’s the same spot Edwards was in the Ringer’s first released rankings back on Dec. 5 and up from the Ringer’s last rankings on March 12, when Edwards came in at No. 17. 

Karl-Anthony Towns, who was cleared on Tuesday to return to full-contact, 5-on-5 action and is expected to return soon from a torn left meniscus, is the Timberwolves’ second-highest ranked player at No. 27. Meanwhile, Rudy Gobert, Jaden McDaniels, Naz Reid and Mike Conley came in at Nos. 34, 73, 79 and 94, respectively. 

At No. 27, Towns comes between Milwaukee Bucks guard Damian Lillard at No. 26 and Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen at No. 28. That’s about where Towns has been in the Ringer’s rankings all season long. He’s been ranked anywhere from Nos. 25 to 27 throughout the season. 

Gobert, meanwhile, has been steadily moving his way up the rankings, and anyone who’s watched any Timberwolves basketball should be able to understand why. Gobert has been the team’s most consistent player and has anchored a defense that ranks atop the NBA. 

Gobert has also looked much more the player the Timberwolves were expecting when they traded for him ahead of last season. In the Ringer’s first rankings on Dec. 5, Gobert was ranked No. 46. He’s inched his way up the board since then, and is at his highest rank this year. 

McDaniels has also moved his way up as he’s been in the midst of an offensive resurgence of late. After coming in at No. 76 in the last edition of the rankings back on March 12, McDaniels is now up to No. 73, a spot below Portland Trail Blazers guard Anfernee Simons and a spot above Orlando Magic guard and former Minnehaha Academy standout Jalen Suggs. 

Reid, who’s been making a compelling case for Sixth Man of the Year this season, has soared up the Ringer’s rankings this season. He opened the year at No. 94, Conley’s current spot, jumped nine spots in the first updated rankings on Jan. 10 and came in at No. 79 in Monday’s updated rankings, a spot below former Timberwolves standout Zach LaVine, now with the Chicago Bulls, and a spot above Indiana Pacers forward Myles Turner. 

Conley, meanwhile, is the last Timberwolves player within the top 100 at No. 94. He inexplicably wasn’t even within the Ringer’s top 100 rankings at the beginning of the season, but has been in every update since then, reaching a high at No. 90 in the last update on March 12. He’s a spot below Houston Rockets standout Jabari Smith Jr. and a spot above Brooklyn Nets Swiss army knife Nic Claxton. 

Rounding out the top 10 are Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic at No. 1, where he’s been all season long, Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic at No. 2, Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo at No. 3, Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander at No. 4, Philadelphia 76ers big man Joel Embiid at No. 5, Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard at No. 6, Boston Celtics wing Jayson Tatum at No. 7, Golden State Warriors guard Steph Curry at No. 8, Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant at No. 9 and Los Angeles Lakers forward Anthony Davis at No. 10.