Heading into the season, second-year guard Rob Dillingham felt poised for a bigger role with the Minnesota Timberwolves. We're only four games into the season, but Dillingham hasn't gotten the bigger role many fans (myself included) had hoped for. He didn't play at all during the season opener, played 30 seconds late in the second game, leaving with a nose injury, missed a game, and played just 12 minutes in the fourth game without Anthony Edwards.
In Monday's game, Dillingham recorded four points (2-2 shooting), an assist, and two turnovers. In each game, Bones Hyland (who was on a two-way contract last year) has played over Dillingham. And even with Edwards injured, there's no evidence to suggest this will change.
I hope I'm wrong, and maybe these seven remaining games without Edwards will change things. Nevertheless, for now, it's hard not to question Dillingham's future with the Wolves.
That's not to say he won't have a successful career, but it seems like Chris Finch doesn't trust him, and he might need a trade to rejuvenate his career. Let's be honest, it's hard to develop a smaller guard on a team with championship aspirations, and a guy like Dillingham will need to work through some growing pains as he adjusts to the NBA.
Developing Dillingham while competing is a difficult task
The clearest path to Dillingham becoming an impactful player is on a rebuilding team. Darius Garland is a perfect example of this. He struggled as a rookie but found his groove during his second season. I don't think Garland would have become an All-Star if the Cleveland Cavaliers weren't so bad for his first two seasons. If Garland were on a team with championship aspirations, he never would have become the same player because they wouldn't have been so patient with him.
Maybe Dillingham (even on a different team) will never become an All-Star like Garland. However, they have similar builds and playstyles.
The Wolves need a point guard, and Dillingham's blend of shot creation and playmaking makes his skill set an ideal fit. Still, he needs time to work through growing pains, especially as a decision-maker and defender. Can this be done on the Wolves, though?
Listen, I am a Dillingham believer, but it seems like Finch doesn't have much confidence in him. After the first game, I chalked it up to a bad matchup, but as time has gone on, it's hard not to argue that it doesn't signal a lack of belief in Dillingham. I can't stress enough how telling it is that Hyland is continuing to play above him.
It's entirely possible that Dillingham maximizes his minutes and bumps Hyland out of the rotation. Still, based on how Finch has handled things so far and last year, it's not likely that he becomes a mainstay in the rotation. With Edwards being sidelined, I think all fans would like to see Dillingham get some real minutes, and perhaps he changes his current trajectory.
Ultimately, though, I see a real scenario where, after this season, the Wolves trade Dillingham this summer or at the trade deadline, a move that would likely benefit his career. Again, I hope to be wrong with this one and still think that Dillingham will have a successful career, but for now, I think it's more likely to happen outside of Minnesota.