Ranking Minnesota Timberwolves' 10 Best Highlights of the 2014-15 Season so Far

The Minnesota Timberwolves (5-16) season may not be going well. OK, it's been downright ugly. Nonetheless, they have had their fair share of highlights. 

What this team lacks in veteran leadership and skill, they make up for with athleticism and youth. Whether it's Andrew Wiggins practically scraping his head on the rafters or Gorgui Dieng knocking his opponent's shot into the third row, the Wolves have had plenty of jaw-dropping plays. 

The criterion for ranking these highlights is to find the perfect combination of coolness and significance. Therefore, an alley-oop won't be ranked as high as a career milestone; the former may be fun to watch, but the latter is both exciting and important to the team.

10. Zach LaVine 2-Handed Jam

In a devastating 112-110 overtime loss to the Houston Rockets on December 5, Zach LaVine drove to the paint (with a little help from Thaddeus Young's screen) and finished with a two-handed dunk.

After months of being teased with different Vines and GIFs of the rookie dunking in warmups and practices, fans finally get to see the neophyte soar on a nightly basis.  

If he can become a consistent half-court scorer, LaVine's ceiling is as high as his vertical leap.

9. Mo Williams to Andrew Wiggins Alley-Oop

On December 1, Mo Williams connected with Wiggins on a monstrous alley-oop that shook the Staples Center. Unfortunately, the Wolves wound up losing 127-101 to the Los Angeles Clippers

With Ricky Rubio hurt, Williams has (for the most part) stepped up as the team's primary facilitator. His veteran leadership paid off, as he took control on offense and orchestrated this beautiful high-flying spectacle. Not to mention, Williams was the one that started this play by knocking away the ball from Clippers guard J.J. Redick. 

Wiggins also deserves his fair share of credit. His offensive game may be raw, but he's already one of the elite leapers in the NBA. 

8. Zach LaVine Pass Leading to Andrew Wiggins Dunk

The future looks bright in the Land of 10,000 Lakes. 

In a 102-92 loss to the Miami Heat on November 8, LaVine drove up the court and fed Wiggins in the paint for the two-handed slam. There's nothing Wolves fans love more than seeing their two talented rookies build chemistry together.

These neophytes are still very raw. With time, though, they could both become All-Stars. Watching Wiggins and LaVine grow and mature together on a nightly basis will be a much-deserved treat for a fanbase that has really suffered since the departure of Kevin Garnett.

7. Zach LaVine to Thaddeus Young Alley-Oop

In an impressive 90-82 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers on December 10, LaVine had arguably his best moment as a facilitator. After picking up the loose ball and avoiding a defender with a nifty behind-the-back dribble, LaVine drove up the court and hit Thaddeus Young mid-flight for the crowd-pleasing slam. 

The 19-year-old rookie has had his fair share of ups and downs this year, but he is always exciting to watch. His combination of athleticism and long-range shooting makes him a must-watch player. 

6. Shabbaz Muhammad 1-Handed Slam

In Minnesota's win over the Trail Blazers on December 10, Corey Brewer picked up the loose ball and hit Shabazz Muhammad with a bounce pass that led to a vicious posterizing dunk. 

With all of the injuries to the Wolves' best players, Muhammad has stepped up. The second-year pro is arguably the team's biggest (and most pleasant) surprise of the year.

Besides Kevin Martin, who has only played in nine games, Muhammad leads the team with a 20.3 player efficiency rating. To put that number into perspective: According to SportingCharts.com, having a PER of 20 categorizes the player as a "borderline All-Star."

5. Gorgui Dieng's Block Leads to Corey Brewer Slam

In a 102-86 loss to the red-hot Golden State Warriors on December 8, Dieng made a big block that led to a two-handed jam by Brewer.

After Nikola Pekovic was sidelined with wrist and hip injuries, Dieng finally got his opportunity to prove he belongs in the NBA. The second-year Wolf's stat line might not be flashy, but he has an 18.6 PER, which is above the league average (15).

4. Andrew Wiggins' 1st Career Shot

After being drafted first overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers and then being traded to the Timberwolves, Wiggins finally got his chance to play his first professional game.

In a 105-101 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies on October 29, Rubio dished the ball to a wide-open Wiggins, who then proceeded to drain the three for his first basket in the NBA. In 19 minutes, the 19-year-old rookie racked up six points, three rebounds, two steals and an assist.

3. Shabazz Muhammad Scores Career-High 28 Points

In a 107-93 defeat to the Trail Blazers on November 30, Muhammad recorded a personal-best 28 points while shooting 12-of-17 from the field. 

With several injuries to their roster, Muhammad has been the Wolves' most efficient player. He's currently second on the team with a 49.7 shooting percentage.

After only averaging 3.9 points per game his rookie season, the 21-year-old guard has been the Wolves' most improved player. Only three players on this team have played over 10 games and averaged more points per game than Muhammad (11). 

2. Zach LaVine Records 1st Career Double-Double

The San Antonio Spurs crushed the Wolves 123-101 on November 21, but LaVine had the best performance of his career. In 42 minutes, LaVine racked up 22 points and 10 assists for his first double-double as a member of the Timberwolves. 

Not only is this an NBA first for him, but he's never even accomplished this feat in college. According to Sports-Reference.com, LaVine never recorded more than six assists in a single game during his UCLA tenure.

What makes this performance even more impressive is that he wasn't even supposed to play much this year. Before the draft, Jason McIntyre of TheBigLead.com predicted that LaVine would spend most of his rookie campaign on the bench.

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I had LaVine in the 20s in my last mock draft, but it’s too early to tell how high he could rise until everyone has declared. I think he’s most enticing for a team with multiple picks (ie, Phoenix, or maybe Philadelphia) because LaVine has the potential to be a breakout player in 2-3 years … assuming he improves his all-around game, something that can be difficult to do in the NBA from the end of the bench.

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1. Andrew Wiggins Records His 1st Career Double-Double

In the December 10 victory over Portland, Wiggins had the best game of his career—and possibly the best performance ever by a Wolves teenager.

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Wiggins also became the first teenager in #Twolves history to record a 20-pt/10-reb game.

— Timberwolves PR (@Twolves_PR) December 11, 2014"

Wiggins has had his fair share of ups and downs. But, for the most part, he has struggled on offense. Before this game versus the Trail Blazers, Wiggins was shooting below 40 percent from the field.

He currently has one of the lowest PER (9.5) marks on his team—even worse than Glenn Robinson III, who's only averaging 5.1 minutes per game. 

Fortunately, Wiggins has been slowly improving, and he is currently coming off back-to-back 20-plus point performances. If he keeps this up, he can be a legitimate contender for the Rookie of the Year Award. 

All stats are courtesy of Basketball-Reference.com and ESPN, unless otherwise noted. 

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