6. Minnesota Timberwolves
Through the first few weeks of the season, the Minnesota Timberwolves have been one of the bigger surprises. Anthony Edwards is playing like a certified superstar as he continues to develop and is every bit the leader that the Wolves have needed over the last few seasons. Rudy Gobert is once again playing like a Defensive Player of the Year candidate as he’s helped the Wolves become one of the best units on that end of the floor in the league.
The Wolves have the No. 1 ranked defensive rating in the NBA and that has made up for the fact that they’re still figuring things out on the offensive end of the floor. Karl-Anthony Towns had somewhat of a slow start to the season but he’s playing much better as of late and has played a big role in the Wolves red-hot start to the year.
The big question for the Wolves is whether or not this is the type of start that can be sustainable throughout the rest of the season. While it may be natural to doubt an unproven team, the fact that they’re doing this with a defensive-first mentality is encouraging.