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NBA Power Rankings: ESPN Has Minnesota Slightly Higher

The folks at ESPN have put out their latest Power Rankings, and they have the Timberwolves a little bit higher than I would expect them to be, as they put them at number 25 out of the 30 NBA teams. However, ESPN does give us a pretty amazing stat about the one member of the Timberwolves that has been making positive news this season.

This should give you a feel for the load Kevin Love has to carry: 'Sota is only 3-8 when Love rumbles for 20 points and 20 rebounds ... including 1-2 last week when he somehow did it in three straight road games.

Yes, Love has 11 games this season where he has put up 20 points and 20 rebounds, and the Timberwolves have managed to come out on the winning end of those games three times. However, that's not really that far out of line with the rest of the NBA.

The rest of the NBA has combined for 17 performances of 20 points and 20 rebounds this season, according to Basketball Reference. The team with the player that went for at least 20 points and 20 rebounds has only won eight out of those 17 contests. Combine Love's record with the rest of the league, and 20/20 players are 11-17 in 2010-11.

You would think that when a player puts together an individual performance like that, their team would be having a good enough night to pull out a victory. Apparently, that's not the case.

Photographs by Micah Taylor, clairity, and Fibonacci Blue used in background montage under Creative Commons. Thank you.