Target Center crackled as Rob Dillingham walked up to the scorer’s table.
The Minnesota Timberwolves led the Portland Trail Blazers 108-85 with 5:42 to go. Dillingham had watched as Minnesota built a 10-0 lead, holding the Blazers off the scoreboard for the first five minutes of the game. Then he witnessed Anthony Edwards hit 9 of 15 three-point shots and score 37 points to help put them away.
Dillingham was entering during garbage time. Minnesota had the Blazers beat, and Chris Finch gave the young players some burn. Still, the sellout crowd stood as Dillingham got off his seat and readied himself to enter the game. They practically willed him into it.
He only played six minutes, but Dillingham finished 3 of 3 from the field and made his only three-point attempt. The Friday night crowd stayed for the entire performance even though it was an 8:00 p.m. start, and Vegas favored Minnesota by 12.5 points.
Dillingham was worth the wait. Many players have scored seven points at the end of a blowout game; few score like Dillingham. He swiftly navigates through the NBA’s Leviathans and finishes with touch around the basket.
There’s a glint in Dillingham’s eye when he sizes up his defender. At 6’1”, 175 lbs., he’s usually smaller than the player in front of him. Still, he moves suddenly and with perfect ball control, using quantum superposition to warp past the player in front of him.
People have always fallen in love with Dillingham’s game. He started high school in Lincolnton, N.C., a city of 10,000 people 50 minutes* northwest of Charlotte. However, Dillingham transferred to Kanye West’s ill-fated Donda Academy in Simi Valley, Calif., for his junior season.
Dillingham created a fanbase at West’s short-lived private school in an undisclosed location. He built upon his popularity as a senior at Overtime Elite in Atlanta, a basketball school that creates exposure for elite players.
John Calipari recruited Dillingham to Kentucky, but only started him in one game. Still, fans rose out of their seats every time Dillingham and Reed Sheppard went to the scorer’s table. Like in Minnesota, he captivated them with his every move. Many wanted Calipari to move him into the starting lineup by the end of the year.
Still, draft pundits didn’t know what to make of Dillingham. Sports Illustrated had him as a second-rounder; ESPN’s Jeremy Woo argued he should go first overall. The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor called him an “electric bucket-getter” with shades of Lou Williams and Bones Hyland in his game. However, he had him as last year’s 10th-best prospect.
O’Connor was concerned about Dillingham’s defense. “Active but erratic defender who too often falls out of position by getting handsy, lost, or simply lacking the understanding of what an opponent is doing,” he wrote, adding that he must improve his passing to run an NBA offense. “Even if he’s focused on defense, his lack of size will always be an issue.”
Dillingham did enough at Kentucky for Tim Connelly to trade up to pick No. 8 in last year’s draft to take him. Last season, the Wolves relied heavily on Mike Conley, 37, and drafted Dillingham to eventually take over for him.
“We were looking for an heir apparent to Mike,” Connelly told KFAN in July. “We thought it was really important to bring that guy in while Mike was still at the top of his game.”
Dillingham averaged 13.6 points per game in Summer League, including 25 points in the finale against the Orlando Magic. He showcased his upside and willingness to learn in Vegas while producing highlights that created immediate fan buy-in. One fan became so enamored with Dillingham that he pulled him aside and offered him a leather Ferrari jacket. It was a fitting gift for a player with a relentless motor.
However, the Wolves are going to ease Dillingham into playing time. They added Donte DiVincenzo in the Karl-Anthony Towns trade. DiVincenzo and Nickeil Alexander-Walker can bring up the ball when Conley rests, allowing the Timberwolves to gradually work Dillingham into a larger role.
“You go into the season feeding him his opportunities,” Finch told MinnPost’s Britt Robson in September. “And you have to be willing to live with some growing pains.
“But the stakes are kind of high. You know maybe, one of the things we are looking at … is there a way to expand our rotation to a consistent 10 (players) and then in the beginning of the season he is getting, like, 8 minutes? Rather than trying to give him 16 to 18 (minutes), where the failure rate is bound to be higher.”
The stakes are high this year. Minnesota reached the Western Conference Finals last year and expects to contend again. Dillingham said he’s excited to play for a winning team but knows he’ll have to earn playing time, especially on a team that values defense.
Minnesota signed Jaden McDaniels to a $131 million extension last year. They also extended Rudy Gobert on a $109.5 million deal before the season after trading for him two years ago.
The Wolves will rely on veterans and experienced players again this season. Therefore, Dillingham will only play if he’s good enough defensively and can operate the defense. In the meantime, he’s learning from Conley during games and refining his game with assistant coach Pablo Prigioni after practice. “Robwitdashifts” has another gear, and he’s trying to reach it.
He has a small role now. Still, it’s hard not to see Dillingham blossoming into a dynamic player. Seeing him on television is one thing; it’s another in person. Few other players in the league move like Dillingham as he navigates a world of giants.
Dillingham is brimming with potential energy. He feels inevitable.
*An earlier version of this post said Lincolnton was 50 miles from Charlotte. We regret the error.
