22. Minnesota Timberwolves
There was a point where it seemed like the Timberwolves could potentially send up to three All-Stars to Charlotte in early February. But, things quickly took a turn for the worst when Jimmy Butler requested a trade.
Nevertheless, Minnesota, while no longer sporting a trio of Butler, Andrew Wiggins and Karl-Anthony Towns, finds themselves sitting 11th (27-30) in the ultra-competitive Western Conference.
The team will greatly rely on Robert Covington‘s status as one of the leagues best three-and-D guys (37.8 percent from three) and Saric’s crafty scoring prowess (56 percent true shooting percentage).
Towns, the team’s lone All-Star, has still managed to rise to the top amidst the turmoil, much like the cream of the crop tends to do, with season averages of 23.1 points per game (15th best in the league) on 51.2 percent shooting. He also averages 12 rebounds (10th best) and 1.8 blocks per game (tied for 9th best).
Of course, no T-Wolves talk would be complete without mentioning two surprising revelations for the team this season, Derrick Rose and rookie guard Josh Okogie. The Georgia Tech product athleticism and relentless play as a rookie earned him the chance to represent Minny in the Rising Stars game while Rose, far removed from his All-Star Weekend standout days, enters the break as one of the frontrunners for Sixth Man of the Year.
Boasting a two-game win streak coming out of the break and with a tough stretch ahead, Minnesota may still very much be a wildcard but, if they stay healthy and Towns continues to play lights out, their crazy year could have a crazy ending for a much different reason.