The Minnesota Timberwolves have been battling the COVID-19 bug, and because of that, we’ve seen a lot of players at the end of the bench step up. Which begs the question, who should be in the 10-man rotation?

There’s nothing positive about anyone getting COVID, however, this is Minnesota sports. There’s one thing we’ve grown accustomed to over the years, and that’s finding a glimmer of hope in the midst of pain.

The idea of a young player playing well and potentially being the next guy is forever engraved in our heads. It was truly awesome seeing Nathan Knight flourish in his first career start, or even Greg Monroe earning a 10-day contract.

Here’s a look at a potential 10-man rotation.

1. Patrick Beverley
2. D’Angelo Russell
3. Anthony Edwards
4. Jarred Vanderbilt
5. Karl-Anthony Towns
6. Malik Beasley
7. Jaden McDaniels
8. Jaylen Nowell
9. Naz Reid/Knight (matchup driven)
10. Monroe (if signed to a longer deal)

This might be a hot take, but Knight is better than Reid. Don’t get me wrong, I love Reid and would love to have him in the rotation, but you can only play so many guys. It’s hard to imagine him affecting the Boston Celtics game as much as Knight did.

Knight dominated both ends of the floor and provided a ton of energy. Moving forward, if Minnesota is playing a bigger/good rebounding team, it would make more sense to play Knight. Whereas if they’re playing the Golden State Warriors, Reid might be the better option.

The Timberwolves made a surprising move in signing Monroe to a 10-day contract, but it’s looked like a great move. In his first game with the team, he posted 11 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals and a block. Not bad for someone who just met his teammates and head coach.

Nowell has been deserving of more playing time, and he’s absolutely killed it as of late. The man is a baller and does things this Timberwolves team desperately needs. He’s played 10 games in December and has averaged 10.5 points. He’s also shooting 47.7 percent from the field and 47.1 from 3.

I don’t think Minnesota can afford to mess with the starting five. It’s been one of the best lineups in the NBA, and they all complement each other nicely. Vanderbilt would look better next to Towns if he could routinely knock down open shots, but he’s been elite defensively and rebounding the ball.

Minnesota has a lot more depth than we originally thought. Since they’ve dealt with a lot of players in health and safety protocols, it’s allowed the bench players more opportunity to flourish. If the Timberwolves stick to this 10-man rotation, they’ll be able to win plenty of games.