It’s a huge upcoming season for Rob Dillingham with the Timberwolves. Selected eighth overall in the 2024 NBA Draft, his rookie season was filled with inconsistent playing time and riding the pine throughout the playoffs (other than garbage time). With Mike Conley another year older, many assume Dillingham will take away some of his minutes, but it may take some time.
Rob Dillingham may not be for extended minutes to begin the season
On Friday, Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic posted his mailbag answering questions on the Timberwolves. One reader asked about when Dillingham will start cutting into Conley’s minutes more.
I think it’s going to take some time, Krawczynski wrote. Dillingham certainly will be in the rotation this season. His quickness and playmaking will be counted on to boost the offense. Finch is committed to playing him now that Alexander-Walker is in Atlanta. But he is still young, and Conley is one of the players Finch trusts most on this team. He turns 38 next month, so he may get more rest days this season, which would open up more playing time for Dillingham. Still, the youngster will have to earn those minutes.
That may not be what most Wolves fans want to hear. As mentioned, Conley is soon turning 38 and is coming off a year where he averaged a career-low 8.2 points. In the playoffs, the 18-year veteran shot a miserable 30.2% from the field.
With a roster that remained mostly the same from last season, fans see Dillingham (along with Terrence Shannon Jr. and Jaylen Clark) as a young player who can show improvement and thus, help the team improve as well. He surely is more dynamic on the offensive end when compared to Conley at this stage of their careers.
Dillingham still needs to earn Chris Finch's full trust
Dillingham won’t turn 21 until January 4. In his rookie year, he shot 33.8% from beyond the arc, well shy of the 44.4% accuracy he showed in his one year at Kentucky. Keep in mind, though, that Dillingham attempted just 74 three-pointers last season in a year he didn’t receive all that much playing time.
While Dillingham's slight frame and 6-foot-1 height may make it challenging for him to become a plus defender, Dillingham's overall ceiling at this point is higher than Conley’s. Now it’s about earning the trust of Chris Finch, something that never seemed to happen last season.