Anthony Edwards is helping Rob Dillingham in one specific way

There is no doubt that Rob Dillingham is a tremendous individual talent and remains a fantastic point guard prospect. There is a reason why the Minnesota Timberwolves were so bold as to trade up to acquire him this past summer, and why Wolves fans are still so excited about his potential.

But some of those same fans have also been a bit disgruntled by Dillingham's lack of playing time this season. Many feel he is being under-utilized relative to the expectation of how much he would impact this team coming into the season. While that development is frustrating, Anthony Edwards has been a tremendous guiding presence for the youngster.

After Minnesota's game in New York on Friday, Dane Moore asked a fantastic question to Edwards about his relationship with Dillingham. Given that they were both high draft picks with big expectations and given how Rob is earning less playing time than expected, Moore asked Ant if he has been able to identify with Dillingham's struggles and inquired about how he has been helping the rookie, considering how Edwards was coming off the bench to begin his rookie year.

Edwards' answer was very telling. "That's a great question, bro," he said. "Because I be trying to tell Rob that I was the number one draft pick and I came off the bench. I be trying to get him to understand this."

Edwards is lifting up Dillingham through their similar journeys

In voicing his thoughts to Dillingham to help him understand, Edwards has not been seeing any lack of confidence from the rookie. "[Rob's] answers are the same that mine would be ... He said something that stuck out to me the other day. He was like, 'you think I'm going to hurt y'all if I get on the court?' He was like, 'no, I'm going to help.' And you can't really say nothing back to that. The confidence is there ... He shows it every time he plays."

This is a fascinating dynamic to think about. Of course, Edwards was also not happy about coming off the bench as a rookie, so in a way he very clearly understands Dillingham's frustrations. The fact that the two of them are both extremely capable and confident players makes their individual journeys appear very similar, at least to this point.

Seeing Ant come alongside Rob and coach him up in this way is certainly encouraging. It is their similar experiences that probably makes Dillingham feel very comforted about where he is at, but he is also clearly not lacking any belief in himself, either. I believe Rob Dillingham will have an even greater chance to succeed on this team with Edwards constantly in his ear, encouraging him and keeping him ready for when a bigger role eventually comes around.