Rockets are giving the Timberwolves a Rob Dillingham blueprint that can't be ignored

Minnesota Timberwolves guard Rob Dillingham and Houston Rockets guard Reed Sheppard are easy to link together. The two were teammates at Kentucky, lottery picks in the 2024 draft, and didn't play much as rookies on competitive teams. Additionally, while their playstyles aren't exactly the same, both are smaller guards.

With both teams needing guard play, it was expected that Dillingham and Sheppard would both get bigger roles.

However, this has only been the case for Sheppard thus far. In all fairness, after Fred VanVleet's injury, Sheppard had a clearer path to minutes. Still, Dillingham is only truly competing with Mike Conley for point guard minutes. Of course, the Wolves run plenty of the lineups without a traditional PG, but the point is they need a player like Dillingham.

Sheppard should serve as a lesson to the Timberwolves in the sense that Ime Udoka has let him grow and develop this season. Now, Sheppard is finding his groove and contributing to winning basketball.

Reed Sheppard is proof that patience pays off

Four games into the season, Sheppard averaged 22.5 minutes, 10 points, 3.5 assists, and 35 percent from the field. Frankly, it would have been easy for Udoka to punt on Sheppard in favor of veteran Aaron Holiday, who earned minutes over him last season.

Regardless, Udoka committed to Sheppard's growth, and it's already paying off. Over the past four games, he is averaging 26.5 minutes, 16.5 points, 3.5 assists, 1.5 rebounds, and 2.8 steals while shooting 58.1 percent from the field and 53.3 percent from 3-point range.

Listen, Sheppard's early-season minutes were rough. He was taking ill-advised shots, wasn't running the offense, and he was being attacked on defense. Nevertheless, with ample opportunities, Sheppard has found his groove. He is now hitting his shots, making better decisions with the ball in his hands. Sheppard's 3-point shooting has uplifted the Rockets.

While Sheppard will always be targeted defensively at 6-foot-2, he has found his niche as a defensive playmaker, averaging 3.3 stocks in the past four games, and according to databallr, he ranks in the 99th percentile for deflections per 100 possessions.

Ultimately, this all boils down to the Rockets' belief in Sheppard and committing to his growth. He certainly struggled at points earlier this season, but is now thriving and has found his flow.

The Wolves must take a page out of the Rockets' book with Dillingham

How does this all relate to Dillingham?

In the 11 games Dillingham has played in, he is averaging 11.2 minutes, 4.6 points, 2.2 assists, and 1.1 rebounds on 40.8/30/72.7 shooting splits. Notably, Dillingham's season high in minutes is below Sheppard's season average, and that came against the Brooklyn Nets when Anthony Edwards was injured.

It would be foolish to say Dillingham is a perfect player, and outside of a few nice flashes, he hasn't really played well. Despite Dillingham scoring gifts, he has struggled to score, and he is turnover-prone. Of course, he is a defensive target as well. However, for Dillingham to develop, he needs consistent minutes to find a rhythm, and his upside can be seen in some of these flashes.

Playing sporadic minutes makes it hard for a player to grow. Chris Finch is a terrific coach, and it's difficult to balance, but he needs to focus on Dillingham's development for this season and the future. The troubling part is that Dillingham has struggled to earn significant minutes with Edwards missing four games and Terrence Shannon Jr. missing the last seven games.

It seems like whenever Dillingham makes a mistake, he's pulled; that's not conducive to growth. And even when he plays well, he might not play the next game. Against the Sacramento Kings, Dillingham notched a season-high 11 points, and in the next game against the Utah Jazz, he earned just four minutes. Make it make sense.

What makes this so frustrating for Wolves fans is that they traded two first-round picks to move up into the lottery and select him. Furthermore, as a shot creator who can pressure the rim and create for others, Dillingham has the ideal skill set the Wolves need. Dillingham might not play 20-plus minutes each game like Sheppard, but he needs a more consistent role.

Overall, how the Rockets are handling Sheppard should be a blueprint for the Wolves to develop Dillingham.