The Oklahoma City Thunder led the NBA in efficiency differential during the preseason with a mark of +12.5.

During the 14-15 preseason, the Golden State Warriors had the league's best mark with +11.0, which became a first indicator of their jump as title contenders.

Here's the full rankings from the 15-16 preseason:

1. Thunder: 12.5
2. Celtics: 11.6
3. Grizzlies: 11.5
4. Wizards: 10.4
5. Hornets: 10.0
6. Pistons: 7.1
7. Raptors: 5.6
8. Pacers: 4.7
9. Knicks: 4.0
10. Suns: 3.9
11. Nuggets: 3.5
12. Kings: 3.3
13. Magic: 2.8
14. Blazers: 1.8
15. Jazz: 0.4
16. Heat: 0.0
17. Hawks: -0.7
18. Rockets: -0.7
19. Nets: -1.0
20. Warriors: -1.3
21. Spurs: -1.9
22. Lakers: -2.1
23. Bucks: -3.4
24. Bulls: -3.6
25. Pelicans: -3.6
26. Clippers: -4.2
27. Cavaliers: -6.5
28. 76ers: -8.6
29. Mavericks: -10.7
30. Wolves: -11.0

Flip Saunders has passed away at the age of 60.

Saunders announced in August that he was being treated for Hodgkin lymphoma. Doctors considered it "very treatable and curable," and Saunders at the time said he planned to remain the Timberwolves' head coach and president of basketball operations.

But Saunders was hospitalized following a setback in September, and it was announced Friday that Saunders would miss the entire 2015-16 season.

The Minnesota Timberwolves have waived guard Lorenzo Brown, center Kleon Penn and guard Nick Wiggins.

With the moves, the Wolves training camp roster stands at 15 players.

Brown, originally signed by the Wolves to a 10-day contract on January 28, registered averages of 4.2 points, 1.0 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 13.1 minutes over five preseason contests. The 6’5 guard appeared in 29 games last season for the Wolves averaging 4.2 points, 2.4 rebounds and 3.1 assists in 18.9 minutes per game. Brown was Minnesota’s second round selection (52nd overall) in the 2013 NBA Draft.

Penn, signed on September 18, appeared in three preseason games totaling one rebound in nine minutes.

Wiggins was signed by the Wolves on September 18. He played in four preseason contests registering seven points in 14 minutes.

The Minnesota Timberwolves have exercised the third-year options on guard Zach LaVine, forward Adreian Payne and forward Andrew Wiggins, along with the fourth-year options on center Gorgui Dieng and forward Shabazz Muhammad.

Dieng, 25, owns career averages of 7.5 points and 6.8 rebounds in 22.6 minutes per game over 133 contests, all with Minnesota. The Wolves acquired the draft rights to Dieng, along with Muhammad, from the Utah Jazz on June 27, 2013.

LaVine, 20, posted averages of 10.1 points and 3.6 assists in 24.7 minutes per game over 77 games in his rookie season, eventually being named to the 2014-15 All-Rookie Second Team. Minnesota drafted LaVine with the 13th overall selection in the 2014 NBA Draft.

Muhammad, 22, has played two seasons with the Wolves, averaging 8.7 points and 2.8 rebounds in 75 career contests, including averaging 13.5 points in 22.8 minutes per contest last season. Minnesota acquired the draft rights to Muhammad, along with Dieng, from the Utah Jazz on June 27, 2013.

Payne, 24, averaged 6.7 points and 5.1 rebounds in 32 games last season, including averaging 7.2 points and 5.4 rebounds in 29 games with Minnesota. Originally selected with the 15th overall pick by the Hawks in the 2014 NBA Draft, the Wolves acquired him from Atlanta on February 10, 2015.

Wiggins, 20, registered averages of 16.9 points and 4.6 rebounds per game last season en route to being named the 2015 KIA NBA Rookie of the Year. Wiggins was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft and was acquired by the Wolves on August 23, 2014.

Zach Harper (@talkhoops) of CBS Sports joins Nate Duncan (@NateDuncanNBA) to preview the Minnesota Timberwolves season.

Topics include: How Andrew Wiggins can improve in his second season, the ceiling of Karl Towns, which of the other young prospects on the team will be part of the future, the squad's best lineups, whether young players should be handed entitlement minutes, and a season prediction.

Subscribe to the Dunc'd On Basketball Podcast on iTunes or via the XML feed.

Click here for other team previews from the Dunc'd On Basketball Podcast.

Flip Saunders is unlikely to return to the sidelines as head coach of the Minnesota Timberwolves this season, according to Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune.

"There’s no question things have changed dramatically since the team announced his diagnosis in August, back when it quoted his doctors saying the cancer was very treatable and curable," wrote Zgoda. "Since then there have been changes to the way his body handled the chemotherapy (and maybe how much cancer they’ve found) that have made it life threatening. Everyone involved has gone radio silent because of the family’s request for privacy and federal patient-privacy laws, etc., but between the complete silence, the lack of people visiting as far as I can tell apart from his immediate family and very inner circle while he remains hospitalized here in Minneapolis and the things I’m hearing second-hand, well, none of it is good. I’ll just say this, and this is just my own opinion, if he pulls through this: I doubt very much he’s back this year, it’s probably unlikely he coaches again just because of the stress inherent doing both those jobs and I think there’s a pretty good chance he doesn’t return full time to either job."

"As far as the franchise goes, that will put them in a holding pattern for some time. I can’t see Glen Taylor allowing Milt Newton and Sam to make a major decision until they know more about Flip’s future and Glen decides who will run his team for the long term. I wouldn’t assume it’ll be Milt and Sam going forward, that’s just for the short term until things become clearer."