Rob Dillingham has not been great in the minutes he's gotten recently for the Minnesota Timberwolves. That's a sad truth about last year's lottery pick. Rob Dillingham also hasn't gotten enough minutes to get comfortable on the floor, and knowing he's only going to get about 5 minutes each night is clearly making him press in the few minutes he does have. That's also true!
Basically, the Wolves and Dillingham seem locked into a duel in which neither party wins. The team wants Dillingham to prove he deserves minutes but aren't impressed by the minutes he's providing, while Dillingham isn't getting enough minutes to prove why he deserves more.
At this point, fans are frustrated with the apparent waffling; if he's going to be part of the rotation, make him a real part of the rotation. If he's not, then fully bench him. The theory of this middle ground — in which Dillingham develops while not having too much responsibility — makes sense, but the reality has not been a success.
Timberwolves can't pick a side with Rob Dillingham
I said a few weeks ago that I refuse to label Dillingham as a bust, and that still holds true. Players all have their own paths to success in the league, and I won't give up on a 20 year-old point guard after 67 games.
Also, I am of the mind that if Dillingham were drafted to a rebuilding team, his development would be going smoother than it is in Minnesota, because he'd basically be given free rein to shoot as many shots as his heart desires. Instead, he's with a winning team that can't afford to waste minutes because winning right now is the priority.
Plus, if there's ever a time to experiment with all lineup combinations and rotations, it's on December 1st. There's so much basketball to be played this season, and it's always better to know what you have than to be guessing in April and May.
Still — this middle ground, refusal to either put Dillingham in the lineup or take him out for good, doesn't seem to be doing anyone any good. It almost feels like it would be better to commit to giving him 20 minutes a night for the next two weeks; if he shows any reason to keep him in the lineup, then keep him in the lineup. If he doesn't, then it's okay to have him on the bench until he's consistently a playable member of the backcourt.