The Minnesota Timberwolves enter the season with high expectations thanks to the addition of LaMelo Ball and revamping their starting lineup to include Jonathan Kuminga.

Expectations might be even higher after ESPN released its list of top 100 players coming into the season, which sees Minnesota housing five players in the top 100, three in the top 50, and one in the top ten.

Ayo Dosunmu kicks off the list at number 90, Jaden McDaniels comes in at number 56, Rudy Gobert is number 42, Ball is at 35, and Anthony Edwards cracks the top ten at number eight.

With Minnesota having five players in the top 100, how good should they be this season?

Any time you have a top-ten player in the league, expectations are going to be high. ESPN believes that Edwards is the best two-way wing in the league, high praise for his ability to play on both ends of the floor.

Minnesota has consistently had a top-ten defense under Chris Finch, and their offense was 13th last season. It should be improved this year with Ball and a starting lineup that dictates playing faster.

Ball and Gobert being in the top 50 isn’t too surprising as Ball is viewed as one of the top point guards in the league despite the Charlotte Hornets never making the playoffs, and Gobert remains one of the best defensive centers in the league.

The only other team with three players in the top 50 are the Oklahoma City Thunder, San Antonio Spurs, Philadelphia 76ers, and New York Knicks. Those are the four title favorites going into the season.

While Edwards, Ball, and Gobert are not surprises in the top 100, or even the top 50, perhaps McDaniels and Dosunmu are.

McDaniels had a breakout season and is viewed as one of the top two-way wings, while Dosunmu established himself as a top bench scorer after being acquired by the Timberwolves at the trade deadline.

Dosunmu is expected to be in Sixth Man of the Year conversations with his offensive ability off the bench and Minnesota’s need for a scoring punch from their depth with Naz Reid now in Charlotte. If McDaniels makes the leap that he’s expected to make, Minnesota will be in a great position to challenge the Spurs and Thunder when it matters the most.

Minnesota should be a top four team in the West this season with their top-end talent. They just need to stay healthy.