Timberwolves rotation taking shape: 'I think the top 8 are spoken for'

Looks like Joe Ingles, Rob Dillingham and others aren't quite in that top eight.

Oct 4, 2024; Palm Desert, California, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels (3) on the sidelines against the Los Angeles Lakers during the first half at Acrisure Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images / Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images

Buried in 17 minutes of conversation between radio announcer Alan Horton and Timberwolves president of basketball operations Tim Connelly on Oct. 4 was Connelly's statement saying "I think the top eight is spoken for."

Connelly was talking about the rotation and how guys like Josh Minott might be able to sneak into the back end of the rotation when it made it clear that the top eight players are set. So who are the top eight?

Well, we know that Mike Conley, Anthony Edwards, Jaden McDaniels, Julius Randle and Rudy Gobert are the likely starting five. Then we know that Donte DiVincenzo and Naz Reid are the first two off the bench.

That makes seven and we have yet to name Nickeil Alexander-Walker or Joe Ingles, but it's clearly one or the other who will be in the top eight. And we're leaning towards Alexander-Walker based on something Connelly said in his chat with Horton.

"I think what is nice about our team is we got really good depth and at his age his role will be dependent on the game," Connelly said about Ingles, "but I think Joe loves to play so I think the more he plays the happier he is but I think the depth at the wing position is really a strength."

After all of that, the rest of the roster is likely to be filled out by rookies Rob Dillingham and Terrence Shannon Jr., PJ Dozier, Josh Minott, Luka Garza and Leonard Miller.

Add up every name we've mentioned so far and it's 15, which is the maximum a team can have to go along with three players on two-way contracts (Jaylen Clark, Daishen Nix, Jesse Edwards).

Meanwhile, it might not take Dillingham, 19, very long to grow into a bigger role.

"I think the thing that surprised our teammates quite frankly is Dillingham's overall feel for the game. He's a pass-first guy and I think that's been a pleasant surprise, especially for our vets. He's got a very good sense of when to make the play," Connelly said. "I think the playmaking is something that maybe translates earlier than the scoring even."