The Minnesota Timberwolves' loss to the Houston Rockets on Friday night came with some fireworks. As the game went to halftime with the Wolves trailing by one, Anthony Edwards got into a verbal exchange with a fan in the stands.
But it was what occurred a few minutes before that which really caught the eyes of fans. With four minutes to go in the half, Rob Dillingham pulled up for a transition three that rimmed out. At the next timeout, Chris Finch subbed Dillingham out of the game and did not put him back in the contest afterward. He appeared visibly frustrated with Rob's shot selection.
One one level, it is understandable why many Timberwolves fans are frustrated to see Dillingham have such a short leash. Several veterans on this team could of course attempt the same shot and not get chewed out or benched by Finch. At the same time, we can recognize that those guys are a bit more established than the rookie, and one could argue, have earned that longer leash.
No second stint for Rob Dillingham tonight at Houston.
— Jonah (@Huncho_Jman) February 22, 2025
Finch did not seem to like this shot from him. Having a word with him after the timeout and subbing him out. pic.twitter.com/5M6zuyP9VP
Minnesota's vision is different now than it was during the 2024 draft
But at the end of the day, these issues and frustrations with how Minnesota's rookies are being utilized can be traced back to last summer's draft night. The way Dillingham is being utilized, for example, is not how his role was initially envisioned by this coaching staff last June. If you recall, the initial messaging was that he would be the unquestioned backup point guard for this team. That was not something Finch or anyone was trying to hide.
But what happened was that the September blockbuster trade this team made completely changed what they were going to be forced to do with their rookies. The Timberwolves drafted Rob Dillingham and Terrence Shannon Jr. because they had a big need for perimeter-oriented talent and ball-handlers. After Donte DiVincenzo and Julius Randle came to town, that changed in a big way.
So the change of role for Dillingham and others is not a matter of Finch losing confidence in them, and it is especially not about him having some personal vendetta against Rob. The reality is that these guys' roles changed the moment the trade was made five months ago.
Now, does that mean fans can not be frustrated about how these players are being used? Of course not. It is absolutely understandable to be disappointed in how their seasons have been handled, especially given what the preseason expectations were. But we have to understand that this situation is more complex than meets the eye.