Lipoli390 wrote: ↑Wed Dec 10, 2025 8:39 pm
As I’ve mentioned many times, we don’t know what we have in Rob because he hasn’t played enough minutes. If the organization refuses to given him the minutes necessary to fully evaluate him, as well as develop him, that’s understandable even though I think it’s a bad decision. I think he should get 25 minutes a game for a long stretch and let’s see where it takes us. It could pay off this season and, if not, it could pay dividends next season and beyond. However, if we don’t do that and we’re basing PG minutes on what we actually know about our three PGs, then Rob is the odd man out, in which case I think it’s Bones and Conley in that order barring some sort of trade for a PG.
I wouldn’t give up value for a mercurial 33 year old coming off a torn ACL. If I wanted to trade for a PG, I’d set my sights on Jrue Holiday and Derrick White. We could make a run at Tyus Jones who is having a terrible year and playing very little. We should be able to get him without giving up much. Maybe Conley for Jones. But honestly, I don’t think Tyus Jones or his equivalent moves the needle and makes this team a title contender. Jrue Holiday or Derrick White might be enough, depending on who we give up to get one of them.
For now, I think we should go with Bones as our main PG and see what happens unless and until Finch is ready to give Rob the run he needs to see whether he can take the next step his former backcourt mate at Kentucky has taken this season.
There are JJ McCarthy parallels here.
The Timberwolves are a veteran team... a perennial playoff team. Dillingham is just not even remotely close to the same level. He might get there eventually, but at what cost to the other players and organization? How much should they be expected to deal with such glaring flaws? Is there enough untapped potential to make it worthwhile?
At this point, Dillingham just hasn't earned more minutes. He's actually playing worse than last season. Can we point to one thing he does well? Not serviceably well... one thing he's better than most players at?
- It's not defense (although his scrappiness on that side might be the biggest surprise... and actually the best thing he has going right now). But it's universally accepted he's going to be below average defensively and targeted often. It's simply a size thing.
- It's not shooting (35/29/69 this season... 44/34/53 last year). There are so many moving parts on his jumper that can potentially limit improvement here. And he's been a poor finisher.
- It's not creating for others. Statistically, he's pedestrian in volume and has a 2/1 A/TO ratio both years. He might be a pretty solid lob passer, but most of his assists are just moving the ball to an open player who hits a jump shot. He's not creating guys open for easy looks. There's a subtle difference, but it's a BIG one.
- He's not very aggressive for a young, athletic guard. This is an eye test thing, but I think it's maybe most telling of all. Count how many times Dillingham is out ahead of the play with the ball -- often with a numbers advantage -- and yet instead of staying on the attack as ALL guards should do... the Wolves PG of the future often ends up passing the ball backwards to a trailer on the play. Even guys like Reid end up with the ball 30 feet from the hoop now facing a set defense instead of the young athletic guard leading a numbers-advantage opportunity. This is HUGE RED FLAG about Dillingham's chops as a potential legit starter in this league.
Either he just doesn't have the skills... or his head is too messed up and he's playing scared. Either way, it's a terrible sign.
- The minutes. Again... kinda tough to give undeserved minutes to a guy on a vet-laden team, making the team worse at least in the short term. As for those minutes, pro sports are a billions-dollars business. You either show off
something or you're forgotten, leap-frogged, or even dismissed.
Look at a guy like Collin Gillespie. He played only about 600 minutes in his career coming into this season. But even in those minutes, he showed he had at least one "better than average" skill... he shot 40% and 43% on threes his first two seasons on decent volume. Ryan Nembhard has only played 200+ minutes in his career... and look at what he's doing.
Former college teammate, Reed Sheppard, might be the best (favorable) comp for Dillingham. He had a TERRIBLE rookie season, very comparable to Dillingham, even worse. He's shown he can be a good high-volume three point shooter this season... shooting 45% on pretty good volume. Granted, he was given more of an opportunity in year two in part because the starting PG went down. But in a results-driven industry, he's made himself more indispensable by being better than other players in at least one part of the game.
- Most telling of all as I also mentioned elsewhere... when the star of the organization (the guy who could get ANYONE fired) is championing for the journeyman, flawed 3rd stringer to play over the #8 pick in the draft... it's a very bad sign. What we think doesn't matter. What the coaches think... matters. What Anthony Edwards thinks... really matters. And obviously, there's not a lot of confidence on the Wolves sideline when it comes to their prized young PG.
- I feel for the kid. But at the same time, he's a millionaire many times over. And pro sports are littered with guys that simply didn't pan out like they were supposed to. It happens. And it may very well be happening with Rob Dillingham... at least on the Timberwolves.
I think he'd benefit greatly from getting run (and regaining confidence) on a team with a lot less at stake. A team that is more prepared to live with his development... and willing to take a chance on him figuring things out eventually despite short-term costs.
