Chris Finch is still working through the Timberwolves’ rotation. Yes, the plan is for it to grow

The Timberwolves’ current rotation resembles that of a playoff team.

Eight players are receiving legitimate workloads, while Joe Ingles — who possesses the ninth spot in the rotation — is playing anywhere between five and seven minutes a game through three contests.

That’s a rarity for any team this early in the season, and it certainly isn’t the long-term plan for Timberwolves coach Chris Finch. Right now, Minnesota’s set up would be classified as an eight-and-a-half man rotation. That number will eventually increase.

“I’d like to try to get to a legit nine-and-a-half guys,” Finch said. “So, we’ve got some work to do there.”

The nine guys would be the nine currently seeing minutes. The 10th player would figure to be Josh Minott — who had an excellent training camp and preseason — or rookie guard Rob Dillingham.

Finch noted he’d like to lengthen Ingles’ minutes, noting he’s a “great Rudy partner.” Gobert scored back-to-back buckets on feeds from Ingles in Saturday’s win over Toronto, including an alley-oop.

“We’ve seen that for many years in Utah, excellent chemistry. It’s one of the reasons I try to play him when Rudy is out there, just because of their chemistry,” Finch said. “(The minutes will) come as he gets a little bit more game ready. Also trying to figure out a lot more other combinations, too. We expect him to be a big piece for us.”

Finch noted the Wolves have “some other priorities” at the moment.

Minnesota made a roster-evolving trade just days before training camp. With Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo now on the roster, and Karl-Anthony Towns off of it, the Wolves have to build chemistry between brand-new player combinations in an intense competition setting. Finch also has to try different combinations to see what works together and, perhaps, what doesn’t.

The starting lineup is still in the process of ironing out issues.

“I’ve got a lot of really good players who can play basketball,” Finch said, “and they’ve got to figure out how to play basketball together.”

That means plenty of minutes for the top eight as a way of expediting their chemistry building, and Finch doesn’t seem content with the minutes some of those guys are playing, either. Nickeil Alexander-Walker — who Finch said has been “probably one of our better players” — only logged 16:50 of court time Saturday, though that number would’ve been higher had he not left the game in the final frame after taking a shot to the stomach.

Finch also said he’s trying to get veteran point guard Mike Conley into a rhythm, and the coach wants Anthony Edwards and Randle to get ample minutes together.

“So, there’s a lot of things,” the coach noted. “I’m also trying to get more guys’ minutes up. So, when I’m more comfortable with where I want guys’ minutes overall, that’ll probably unlock other parts of the puzzle.”

One person whose minutes will decrease as the season progresses — Edwards. The All-Star guard has played 39-plus minutes in each of Minnesota’s three games to date. That’s not part of the long-term plan.

But the exact specifics of that plan are very much in flux.