Power Rankings Roundup: Timberwolves Rock Bottom

As usual, power rankings from the league's media outlets came out on Monday. Between the Wolves continuing to look mediocre and their competition at the bottom finding some wins, this was the week where #30 called. Here's your fast tour.

CBS Sports: #29 (down 1)

(full rankings here)

Matt Moore at CBS has the Timberwolves at #29, above the Lakers and below the 76ers.

It's late January, they have won seven games and yet still may have won the Kevin Love trade.

NBC ProBasketballTalk: #30 (down 1)

(full rankings here)

Kurt Helin of NBC's ProBasketballTalk has the Timberwolves dead last, just below the 76ers.

Nikola Pekovic is back and Flip Saunders is throwing him out there like he wants to showcase him for a trade. Or he doesn't have other good options. Or a little of both. Kevin Martin can expect the same thing.

ESPN: #30 (down 1)

(full rankings here)

Marc Stein of ESPN and his panel of 1 also have the Wolves last, but below the Knicks this time.

Thaddeus Young, Mo Williams, Kevin Martin ... surely Minnesota will look to move any and all of them before the Feb. 19 trade deadline. Right? Something for Flip Saunders to ponder deeply when he's looking for things to focus on besides what this season is doing to his career W/L record.

SBNation: #27 (up 2)

(full rankings here)

Finally, Drew Garrison of the mothership has the Wolves all the way up at the lofty heights of 27th, above the Lakers and below the Pistons.

Andrew Wiggins' double-digit scoring streak is at 17 games now, and stands as about the only positive thing going on in Minnesota currently. Still no Ricky Rubio or Kevin Martin, and the losses keep on coming.

Summary

Really, I have trouble disagreeing with the two writers who put the Wolves in last place. The Knicks actually showed signs of life with their three game winning streak this week, and the 76ers played the Raptors close before getting crushed by the Pelicans on Monday after these rankings came out). The post-Kobe fall of the Lakers is pretty clearly coming, but in my opinion, the play on the court has not yet demonstrated the Lakers to be in the same category of abysmal as the Wolves, Knicks, or Sixers. The Wolves have a chance to beat the Sixers on Friday and climb out of the basement.

In addition, Helin and Stein share the thoughts of some locals in that any of Pek, Martin, Mo and Thad could (should?) be on the move in the next three weeks. Trade deadline season could still have some intrigue around these parts, although the roster that we put on the floor after moving any of those four would be... an experience. Not a new one, mind you, given the amount of time all four have missed this year for various reasons.

With games against Boston, Philadelphia and Cleveland this week, the Wolves have potential to get at least one win and get off the bottom. The roundup will return next Tuesday to see what the Internet has to say.