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Rob Dillingham is starting to find momentum after getting traded to the Chicago Bulls.
After getting drafted No. 8 overall by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the 2024 NBA Draft, Rob Dillingham’s first years in the league haven’t been as ideal as fans imagined.
While joining a contending team like the Timberwolves, Dillingham immediately felt the pressure of competing for minutes. The 6-foot-2, 175-pound guard was playing behind important players like Donte DiVincenzo, Anthony Edwards, and Mike Conley, only to be the odd man out.
Game after game went by, and Dillingham never found the minutes he imagined. This resulted in the Timberwolves trading the 21-year-old guard to the Chicago Bulls, along with Leonard Miller and four second-round picks, in exchange for Ayo Dosunmu and Julian Phillips at the February trade deadline.
Now, 12 games in with his new team, Dillingham took the time to reflect on his frustrating tenure in Minnesota.
Rob Dillingham Speaks on Struggling Times With Timberwolves
In 84 games with the Timberwolves, Dillingham managed 4.0 points, 1.1 rebounds, and 1.9 assists while averaging just 10.0 minutes a game.
“When you do (play), you gotta play perfect in your opportunity, or you won’t get more opportunities,” Dillingham told The Athletic. “The pressure really comes from whenever you come out of college or come from wherever; you play freely because you know you get minutes. But in the NBA, it’s not like that. It’s you switching your whole mindset to, I gotta perform well in these minutes.”
Since getting moved to the Bulls, a team that’s currently 5.5 games behind the Charlotte Hornets for the final Play-In spot, Dillingham has been given more playing time than ever before.
Through 12 games with his new team, the quick but undersized guard is averaging 6.5 points, 1.6 rebounds, and 2.0 assists. His shooting numbers are still a work in progress, having a 36.9% field goal percentage and 19.2% from three.
However, the opportunity of getting more playing time is what’s the most appealing. Dillingham has gone from averaging 9.3 minutes per game with Minnesota this season, to 18.9 minutes in Chicago.
Dillingham: ‘You Start to Question, Like, Dang, am I Really Good at Basketball?’
The success of his new team isn’t nearly the same as it was in Minnesota, but the move of teams appears to be a step in the right direction for Dillingham’s personal basketball goals.
His time with the Timberwolves reached an all-time low in the days leading up to getting traded. Dillingham logged less than 10 minutes a game in the final nine appearances he made with Minnesota.
“I feel like if you’re human, you definitely gonna second-guess (yourself) if you working hard at something every day, and then you don’t really get an opportunity. You start to question, like, dang, am I really good at basketball?” The 21-year-old said.
He added what he’s still searching for from a team.
“Really, just communication. Honesty. There’s no reason (for) beating around the bush or telling someone something if it’s not gonna help them. I’d rather you just tell me exactly what it is, whether it’s positive or negative, and then from there, it’s up for me to fix it.”
The Kentucky product is still trying to win minutes on a guard-heavy team that also features Collin Sexton, Anfernee Simons, Tre Jones, and Jaden Ivey on the roster. It appears that the trade was a step in the right direction for Rob Dillingham to rewrite his legacy in the NBA.
Toran Flores is a sports reporter located in Cheyenne, Wyoming. He’s covered news in the NFL, NBA, MLB, WNBA, and college sports. His work has been featured on platforms like FanSided, Athlon Sports, The Sporting News, Lakers All Day Everyday, and others.
In his free time, Toran enjoys spending time with family and friends, staying active, and traveling. More about Toran Flores
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