Hoops Habit
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NBA Power Rankings: HoopsHabit Holiday Edition

By Maxwell Ogden

Dec 23, 2014; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard (0) attempts a shot against Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) during the second quarter at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 23, 2014; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard (0) attempts a shot against Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) during the second quarter at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports /
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Dec 10, 2014; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves head coach Flip Saunders talks to guard Zach LaVine (8) and guard Andrew Wiggins (22) during the fourth quarter against the Portland Trail Blazers at Target Center. The Timberwolves defeated the Trail Blazers 90-82. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 10, 2014; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves head coach Flip Saunders talks to guard Zach LaVine (8) and guard Andrew Wiggins (22) during the fourth quarter against the Portland Trail Blazers at Target Center. The Timberwolves defeated the Trail Blazers 90-82. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports /

30. Minnesota Timberwolves

Record: 5-22

Last Week: 0-3

Previous Rank: No. 29

The Minnesota Timberwolves aren’t as bad as their record shows. Nor are they as bad as their ranking suggests when at full strength.

Unfortunately for the T-Wolves, they’ve been playing without Kevin Martin, Nikola Pekovic and Ricky Rubio—arguably the three best players on the team.

Without Rubio, both Zach LaVine and Mo Williams have stepped up as scorers and facilitators, but there has been something of a defensive drop-off. Gorgui Dieng has been a strong force on the glass in Pekovic’s place, but he’s failed to provide the same scoring punch.

Shabazz Muhammad has been a pleasant surprise as a scorer, but Martin’s absence as the floor-spacer cannot be ignored. Without his 3-point shooting, the pick-and-roll hasn’t been working as effectively as it had before.

Since Martin’s last appearance on November 19, the T-Wolves have scored at least 100 points in just five of 16 games—31.3 percent of its games. Minnesota scored 232 points in his final two most recent games with Martin alone—outings in which he scored 34 and 37 points, respectively.

The youth movement in Minnesota is thrilling to watch, but as it presently stands, this is one of the worst teams in the league.

Next: A Winning Record—Sort Of