Rob Dillingham’s Scenario: A Defining Turning Level

Rob Dillingham’s position with the Minnesota Timberwolves has been a significant level of dialogue to date this season. The second-year guard has struggled in his sporadic minutes this season. After Dillingham misplaced minutes to Bones Hyland (who thrived on this alternative, scoring 14 factors) on Monday, it is not far-fetched to recommend that this might spell the tip of his Timberwolves tenure.

That may sound harsh, and let me be clear, I nonetheless consider in Dillingham. Fully giving up on Dillingham as a participant whereas he is solely in his second season and never legally in a position to drink alcohol is foolish. The reality is, it is actually, actually arduous for a small guard to develop on a group with title aspirations — even when mentioned group wants level guard play.

It is a difficult state of affairs. Do I feel Dillingham may gain advantage from a extra constant position, and the Wolves have not carried out him any favors in that regard? Completely. On the similar time, although, Dillingham hasn’t been spectacular in his minutes. The Kentucky product is averaging 10.1 minutes, 3.7 factors, 2 assists, and 1 rebound, on 34.8/28.6/69.2 taking pictures splits. Dillingham seems to be like he is misplaced numerous confidence, and the teaching employees would not belief him.

In some unspecified time in the future, successful should turn into the precedence, and that point seems to be now for Minnesota. It is also value noting that Anthony Edwards had privately been lobbying for Bones to play extra.

Dillingham’s days with the Timberwolves are (seemingly) numbered

Sure, Chris Finch might have been extra affected person with Dillingham, and I do not love how he tried to vary his position. Nonetheless, Hyland is extra able to contribute to a group with championship aspirations that can all the time be the precedence. At this level, I do not assume it will be a shocker if Dillingham is moved forward of the commerce deadline.

Undoubtedly, buying and selling Dillingham can be painful for the Wolves. Allow us to not overlook that in 2024, the Wolves traded an unprotected first-round choose and a choose swap to draft Dillingham with the No. 8 general choose. Given this, the entrance workplace won’t wish to quit on Dillingham. I feel that is completely comprehensible.

Nonetheless, would anybody be stunned if the Wolves traded for a degree guard? Hyland seemed nice, however is he a everlasting resolution for the Wolves’ PG points? If the Wolves commerce for a job participant comparable to Jose Alvarado, Dillingham is an apparent commerce candidate, and in the event that they commerce for a star, he’d seemingly be thrown in to make the salaries work. Frankly, if the Timberwolves make a transfer on the deadline, Dillingham looks like an clear commerce candidate.

For a rebuilding group, rolling the cube on Dillingham would make numerous sense. He was a lottery choose a 12 months and a half in the past in spite of everything. There’s nonetheless loads like with Dillingham’s sport, even when he hasn’t proven it on the NBA degree. In principle, he is a speedy three-level scorer with unimaginable handles and strong passing chops.

On the finish of the day, I am nonetheless assured that Dillingham will turn into a strong NBA participant; he simply must discover a group that may decide to his growth. Sadly, that group is unlikely to be the Timberwolves.