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

After four games 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 backups (Naz Reid, Donte DiVincenzo and Nickeil Alexander-Walker) all average over 21 minutes per game. The only other player to appear so far is Joe Ingles, who played a total of 22 minutes as the ninth man.

That means 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 PJ Dozier. That's partly because the Wolves haven't been involved in a bankruptcy yet. They have played three close games and a win against the Raptors, in which they led by as many as 22 points, but saw the lead shrink to seven points in the final minutes, preventing them from gaining any momentum on the reserves bring.

That isn't likely to change any time soon. Head coach Chris Finch has said he wants to play Ingles a little more and also have a 10th man in the rotation, but that's difficult in close games. The Wolves also need to get their top eight acclimated 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 whether there could be real benefits to giving Minott and Dillingham a few minutes in the near future, in particular.

The Wolves struggled a bit with their energy, defensive rebounding and effectiveness in transition – both attacking on offense and finding their way back on defense to stop them. Based on what he showed in the preseason, Minott's length and activity could help with that. He is a great athlete who plays with great motor and showed an improved outside shot in exhibition games.

It's not as simple as saying that Minott should play instead of Ingles, as the Wolves value the veteran's three-point shooting track record and his ability to keep the offense moving when he touches the ball. But perhaps the second unit can play both in one or two short bursts?

Dillingham, the 19-year-old No. 8 overall pick out of Kentucky, could also provide energy in different ways. He has significant long-term potential because of his ability to handle the ball, create shots and make plays for others, but the addition of DiVincenzo means he has no chance at playing minutes at the moment. Could he provide an offensive spark if Wolves struggle 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 that and all the things he can help us with if he gets a chance, so I'm just trying to stay in his ear and preaching to him how important he is.” He is there for our team. Things he can take from the moments when he's not playing, learning our plays, learning other teams' schemes… I promise you he'll be ready when his time comes.

The dilemma Finch faces is that while in an ideal world he might want to give Minott or Dillingham some chances, he also has eight players at the starting level who need to gel and grow together. And because every game counts toward playoff placement, it's not easy to just throw young guys out and live with the ups and downs. Dillingham, for example, could be exacerbating the Wolves' problems with turnovers and defense more than helping them.

On the other hand, Edwards has played 39.3 minutes per game so far, which seems to be too much for the superstar and leader of the team. Even for an ultra-athletic 23-year-old, that's probably not a sustainable number. Maybe McDaniels could play a few minutes less. Ultimately, Minott and Dillingham might be worth going through some developmental hiccups if it gives them a chance to become impactful players next spring.

We'll see how the rotation develops as the season progresses. At some point there will be trash or possible injuries that will allow others to see the ground. But for now, guys like Minott and Dillingham can only wait for their team and stay prepared while they wait for their number to be called.