Here we are, late September, the air’s cooling, training camps are around the corner, and ESPN has released its annual Top 100 NBA Players list. You know the drill: 150 reporters, editors, and talking heads rank players, big debates ensue, X/Reddit goes nuts, and in about three weeks we’ll all forget this list existed.

Couple disclaimers this year: guys with big injuries were out (no Tatum, no Haliburton, no Dame, no Kyrie). That always throws the whole thing off. But for Timberwolves fans, here’s the big headline: five Wolves made the list. In a 30-team league, that’s punching above weight. This isn’t shocking. The Wolves are coming off back-to-back Western Conference Finals. They’re officially a contender.

As for these rankings? Let’s just say I’ve got some beef. Classic ESPN Top 100. Some stuff makes sense, some stuff is head-scratching, and at least one placement feels like the voters were doing shots of Malört before submitting their ballots.

Let’s go Timberwolves player by player, but first, one honorable mention…

The Snub: Donte DiVincenzo

Donte didn’t make it. That’s not necessarily shocking as he was certainly a bubble guy. But here’s what is shocking: Nickeil Alexander-Walker did. At No. 96. And yes, I’m as happy as anyone for NAW. Guy was an afterthought in the D’Lo trade, worked his way into the rotation, hit big playoff shots, and parlayed it into a payday with Atlanta. That’s a win. Wolves fans love him forever.

But let’s be real: last year NAW was the eighth man. Donte was the seventh man. Yet NAW makes the cut, and Donte doesn’t. It just doesn’t compute.

Naz drops from 87 to 90 this year, which is reasonable since Big Jelly didin’t necessarily make a giant leap from 2024 to 2025. He’s a former sixth man of the year, he’s the Wolves’ secret weapon, and he’s a top-five fan favorite in franchise history already. But Naz is still a bench guy. If he were in Charlotte, maybe he’s a 17/8 starter and ranked 65th. But here? He’s the flamethrower off the bench. The dude every Wolves fan believes in a little too much. He disappears in some playoff games (we all saw it), but he also has moments where he goes unconscious and drains six threes. He deserves to be here. He’ll probably climb if he keeps putting it together.

No. 75 – Jaden McDaniels

McDaniels moves up from 77 to 75, which makes sense as he’s already one of the best wing defenders in the league. When he’s on, he looks like Scottie Pippen’s godson. But the offensive side is still TBD. Some nights you get 20 points on perfect corner threes and smooth drives, while other nights you’re begging him not to disappear. Still, if the Wolves are going to win a title, Jaden has to level up. Ant can be Jordan, but someone’s gotta be Pippen.

Rudy takes the biggest tumble from 34 last year to 49 now. In many ways, I get it. He wasn’t the same defensive monster in 2024-25 as his previous DPOY campaign. But he’s still Rudy. He’s still the anchor. And when Rudy’s locked in, the Wolves basically turn into the ’04 Pistons with a 2020s twist. The issue is offense. The hands, the finishing, the free throws. That stuff isn’t getting better at 32. But he doesn’t need to be Hakeem. He just needs to be reliable. Because as Rudy goes, so go the Wolves. And when he’s at his best, the Wolves are borderline unbeatable.

This one stunned me. Randle moves up from 48 to 42. Remember, he was coming off a pretty significant injury heading into last season. After killer playoff run with the Wolves last spring, coming up huge against the Lakers and Warriors and proving he could be the No. 2 next to Ant, he only finds himself moving up six spots? Ahead of him: OG Anunoby, Desmond Bane, Scottie Barnes, Derrick White. Really? Randle’s a No. 2 on a legit contender. Most of those guys are No. 3 options on teams praying to win a second-round game. This is where the ESPN hive mind gets too “cute.” There’s nothing cute about Randle at 42.

No. 6 – Anthony Edwards

And here we go. The Wolves’ crown jewel. ESPN has Ant at No. 6, up from No. 10 last year. That’s progress. But it’s also insulting.

Victor Wembanyama leapfrogged him into No. 5. Look, I get it. Wemby is a freak of nature. He’s 7’3”, he shoots threes, he blocks everything. But he hasn’t made the playoffs. He hasn’t carried a team through two straight Western Finals. He hasn’t led the league in threes like Ant did last year. This is premature coronation.

Then there’s Luka at No. 3. Look, Luka is great, but Ant has already punked him head-to-head. Ant is in shape. Ant plays defense. Ant doesn’t need oxygen after every third possession. Luka might be the basketball Mozart, but Mozart didn’t guard anybody either.

I’d have Ant at worst No. 4, maybe even No. 3. He’s a two-way monster, the future face of the league, and someone with potential to own the 2026 Finals. But ESPN hedged. That’s fine. Add it to the Ant-Man motivation file.

Five Wolves in the Top 100: Naz (90), Jaden (75), Rudy (49), Randle (42), and Ant (6). That’s the profile of a true contender. And yet, you can’t help but feel like ESPN undersold them with Randle and Ant certainly too low.

But that’s the beauty of these lists. They’re supposed to annoy you. They’re supposed to get you screaming at your screen. And the truth is, if the Wolves do what they’re capable of this year—if Ant continues his ascension, if Jaden finds offensive consistency, if Randle is April/May Randle, if Rudy gets back to DPOY form, if Naz keeps being Naz—then none of this matters.

Because there’s only one ranking that counts. And that’s the one where Adam Silver hands you the trophy in June.