Rob Dillingham’s push for more rotational minutes for the 2025-26 Timberwolves starts Thursday, when Minnesota opens Summer League play against New Orleans in Las Vegas.
The second-year point guard is in line to serve as Minnesota’s backup point guard next season, continuing to lighten veteran Mike Conley’s workload while serving as another potential creator alongside Anthony Edwards.
“We all know we need some point guard minutes,” Timberwolves assistant coach Max Lefevre said.
But there are boxes the Wolves need him to check on both ends of the floor before that ascension can take place.
Offensively, Dillingham possesses a clear burst to put pressure on opposing defenses and the ability to put the ball in the bucket. Timberwolves coach Chris Finch has noted the Wolves need more of that, and Dillingham is one of the few players on the roster who can provide it.
But Minnesota wants to see less flash and more substance. Dillingham’s nifty handle is fun to watch, but it can also lead to some overdribbling that can bog down an offense.
“Once he picks a direction, we kind of want him to go in that direction,” Wolves Summer League coach Kevin Hanson said. “He’s very shifty, obviously, and we want him to play his game. But there are times where he’s just got to go. … Take that next step in maturity, know where your game is going.”
It’s all part of what Minnesota hopes is a simplification of the 20-year-old’s game. Make the right read in a decisive fashion and execute it. Oftentimes, that read will be to get someone else the ball. The Wolves are successful in Mike Conley’s stints because of the structure he provides. Dillingham has to do some of the same, even in just his second season.
Hanson noted Dillingham is a scorer and a facilitator, but Minnesota needs him to veer a bit more toward the latter.
He knows as much.
“If you’re a point guard, you’ve got the ball in your hands … you’ve just got to make the right play when it’s there. Just running the team,” Dillingham said. “Imagine if you’re on the court and you don’t get the ball, you’re running up and down, playing defense, you’re not going to want to play. You can’t just be on the court and not have someone (touch the ball), because they’re not going to want to play defense. You’ve just got to learn to make your team better and feed everybody, honestly.”
It’s easier to do that as your understanding of the game deepens. Lefevre said Dillingham has experienced “a lot of growth” in the past 12 months. That can be evident in Las Vegas, where the young guard struggled at times a year ago.
“I think the game is slowing down a little bit,” Lefevre said. “I’m really excited for Summer League, honestly. … We’ve got a good team, he’s going to have the ball in his hands, he’s going to have good teammates that can do things, he’s not going to have to do everything.
“So kind of him running the show, making those reads at somewhat of an NBA level in Summer League against really good competition, so I’m really excited to see what it looks like. Because he looks good in practice, but seeing that in real minutes is going to be fun, I think.”
Finch also noted Dillingham has to be comfortable hitting catch-and-shoot attempts off the ball, a position he’ll find himself in when playing alongside the likes of Edwards and Julius Randle. He’ll get more opportunities to take such shots starting this week, as Minnesota works Terrence Shannon Jr. into more playmaking spots.
Dillingham’s jumper was inconsistent in his rookie campaign. Finch and Co. would like less leg movement in the jumper, but the guard feels like his shot is in a “solid” spot.
And then there’s the defensive end, which will ultimately decide what Dillingham’s ceiling is now and moving forward in Minnesota. The Timberwolves have a defensive identity that must be leaned into if they’re to contend for championships.
The coaching staff has lauded the effort Dillingham has given that end of the floor early in his career. There’s a lot he must overcome given his lack of size. But that can be achieved with the energy he exerted a year ago along with a sharpening of his attention to detail.
“We want him to defend at a high rate. He can’t be a minus. We want him to be a plus out there,” Hanson said. “Obviously, there were times when he just got out-sized, but he competed, and that’s Step 1. We’ve seen a lot of guys that don’t do that. He was pretty good at chasing, picking the right routes. Picked up a lot of stuff we do. He rebounds well for a small, and he’s got kind of a knack for steals.
“Those are things he can hang his hat on. He’s just got to be a bit more of a nuisance on the ball and be able to get through screens, all that stuff.”
Minnesota has yet to sign another point guard in free agency after it didn’t address the position in the draft. All of that points to a belief that Dillingham can shoulder a legitimate load next season. But that was the same position he was in last summer. And his apparent lack of readiness was at least one factor in Minnesota deciding to add depth via the Karl-Anthony Towns trade to New York.
But opportunity is knocking yet again. Will Dillingham be there Thursday to meet it at the door?
Rob Dillingham celebrates after being drafted eighth overall by the San Antonio Spurs during the first round of the 2024 NBA Draft at Barclays Center on June 26, 2024 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
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