The top eight of the Minnesota Timberwolves' rotation feels set in stone. Ayo Dosunmu, Joan Beringer, and Terrence Shannon Jr. will be the first three players off Minnesota's bench. However, there's some real uncertainty about who will round out the rotation.
In my eyes, three players are primarily fighting for this ninth spot. I'd expect all of these players to get an opportunity at some point in the season. Given what we know about Chris Finch, it's unlikely that the Wolves play 10 guys on a regular basis. Perhaps the Wolves will lean on a situational ninth man, or perhaps one of these players will separate themselves and earn a permanent role in the rotation.
With that in mind, let's take a look at the three players on the edge of a rotation spot and rank their chances of becoming a rotational mainstay.
3. Trey Lyles
At the surface level, Trey Lyles should be able to earn a role given the Wolves' lack of frontcourt depth. I would have felt better about this proposition before the Jonathan Kuminga signing. Now, though, I'd say he's on the outside looking in, and I'd expect the Wolves not to run a traditional power forward when Kuminga is off the court. The Wolves have other options with more upside.
The Wolves have other options with more upside, and they won't be at a major size disadvantage without Lyles. Still, Lyles could get some situational usage due to his floor spacing. Lyles also gives the Timberwolves a chance to unlock some five-out lineups, which is an enticing possibility.
At the end of the day, though, I think his subpar defense will hold him back from earning anything more than occasional minutes.
2. Bones Hyland
After a feel-good season where he rejuvenated his career, Bones Hyland, unfortunately, finds himself on the edge of the rotation. Hyland had a splendid regular season, averaging 8.5 points and 2.6 assists. His scoring fell off a cliff in the playoffs, and he was hunted on defense, which caused him to fall out of the rotation.
I'm not saying that Hyland's poor playoffs will cause him to be out of the rotation. Regardless, this highlights Hyland's inconsistencies as a scorer and defender, two problems that could cost him a spot. Plus, with Ayo and Shannon off the bench, along with Anthony Edwards and LaMelo Ball in the starting five, a microwave scorer simply isn't the Wolves' biggest need.
Given how important he was to the team last regular season, I could see Hyland playing a role. Still, there's a chance that Finch and the Wolves simply favor other skill sets.
1. Jaylen Clark
On the note of skill sets the Wolves could need, a role player like Jaylen Clark is exactly what they need. Clark is a tenacious perimeter defender who has a low-usage offensive game that allows him to complement the Wolves' established talent. Simply put, every team needs role players like Clark, and the Wolves have a few clear role players, which could bode well for him.
Nevertheless, Clark must improve his 3-point shooting to earn a spot in the rotation. He shot just 32.7 percent from deep range last season; that's not nearly good enough. If he can become a respectable shooter, Clark will be a coveted 3-and-D player and a vital part of the Wolves' rotation. The flipside is that without shooting improvement, Clark will be an offensive liability and won't be used outside of situational minutes.
In the end, though, I feel the most confident in Clark out of these three players, since they could use his skill set and his shooting problem is fixable.
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