Will we see the Wolves play Josh Minott or Rob Dillingham anytime soon?

It might take a while for the Wolves' rotation to expand beyond eight players.

Oct 11, 2024; Des Moines, Iowa, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves forward Josh Minott (8) defends Philadelphia 76ers guard Kyle Lowry (7) at Wells Fargo Arena. / Reese Strickland-Imagn Images

Four games into this season, the Timberwolves have essentially operated with an eight-man rotation. Their five starters (Mike Conley, Anthony Edwards, Jaden McDaniels, Julius Randle, and Rudy Gobert) and three starting-caliber bench guys (Naz Reid, Donte DiVincenzo, and Nickeil Alexander-Walker) have all averaged north of 21 minutes per game. The only other player to see action so far is Joe Ingles, who has played a total of 22 minutes as the ninth man.

That's meant no playing time for preseason standout Josh Minott or first-round rookies Rob Dillingham and Terrence Shannon Jr., not to mention others like Luka Garza and P.J. Dozier. In part, that's because the Wolves haven't been involved in any blowouts yet. They've played in three tight games, plus one win over the Raptors where they led by as much as 22 but saw the lead shrink to seven in the final minutes, preventing them from getting the reserves some run.

That might not change soon. Head coach Chris Finch has said that he wants to play Ingles a bit more and get a tenth man in the rotation as well, but it's hard to do that in close games. The Wolves also need to get their top eight comfortable with each other on both ends of the floor after bringing in Randle and DiVincenzo so close to the start of the season.

Still, it's fair to wonder if there would be real benefits that could come with giving Minott and Dillingham, in particular, a handful of minutes in the near future.

The Wolves have struggled a bit with their energy, their defensive rebounding, and their effectiveness in transition — both in getting out on fast breaks offensively and getting back on defense to stop them. Based on what he showed in the preseason, Minott's length and activity might be able to help with that. He's a big-time athlete who plays with a high motor and flashed an improved outside shot in the exhibition games.

It's not as simple as saying Minott should play instead of Ingles, because the Wolves value the veteran's track record of three-point shooting and his ability to keep the offense flowing when he touches the ball. But maybe there's room to play both of them with the second unit in a brief spurt or two?

Dillingham, the 19-year-old No. 8 overall pick out of Kentucky, could also provide energy in different ways. He's got significant long-term upside because of his ability to handle the ball, create shots, and make plays for others, but the DiVincenzo addition has left him without a path to minutes at the moment. Could he provide an offensive spark if the Wolves are struggling to score?

For now, Dillingham is waiting his turn, as Conley noted this week.

“I’m just trying to keep him sane," Conley said. "I know he wants to play right away and you know he's capable of doing it and all the things he can help us with when he does get an opportunity, so I’m just trying to stay in his ear and preach to him how important he is to our team. Things he can pick up from the moments he's not playing, learning our plays, learning our scheme, learning other teams' schemes. ... I promise you he’ll be ready when his time come."

The dilemma facing Finch is that while he might want to give Minott or Dillingham some opportunities in an ideal world, he also has eight starting-level players who need to mesh and grow together. And because every game matters in terms of playoff seeding, it's not easy to just throw young guys out there and live with the ups and downs. Dillingham, for example, might exacerbate the Wolves' issues with turnovers and defense more than he helps.

Then again, Edwards has played 39.3 minutes per game so far, which feels like too many for the team's superstar and leader. Even for an ultra-athletic 23-year-old, that's probably not a sustainable number. Maybe McDaniels could play a few fewer minutes, too. Ultimately, it might be worth it to go through some developmental growing pains with Minott and Dillingham if it means they have a chance to become impactful players next spring.

We'll see how the rotation evolves over the course of the season. Eventually, there will be garbage time or possible injuries that will allow others to see the floor. But for now, the likes of Minott and Dillingham can only bide their team and stay prepared as they wait for their number to be called.