Despite coming off of three close losses to the Toronto Raptors, Boston Celtics, and Houston Rockets, it hasn’t been all bad in Minnesota. Their 8-9 record may not seem encouraging, but the Timberwolves have made a big step in the right direction.
The Timberwolves typically don’t run a deep rotation which was concerning for the season. It seemed like the team didn’t have many options coming off the bench, but the last few games showed a certain player rising to the occasion. This could spell good news for Minnesota in the future as they hope to turn the season around.
The Timberwolves Have Solidified Their Bench Unit
Rob Dillingham Has Arrived
The eighth overall pick of the 2024 NBA Draft, Rob Dillingham, has looked solid for the Timberwolves as of late. After scoring 14 points in 15 minutes against the Celtics, the Kentucky guard earned more minutes against the Rockets. In Tuesday’s night game, he logged 24 minutes and had 12 points and seven assists.
Dillingham has looked a lot more comfortable and has shown to be a key contributor to the Wolves’ second unit. It’s clear that as the season goes on, Dillingham will have a consistent spot in the rotation if he continues to perform. Timberwolves coach Chris Finch had some nice things to say about Dillingham’s development on Monday.
“He keeps growing every day, I loved his competitiveness on defense. We look different when he’s on the floor; it gives us a change of speed.”
That speed was put on display against the Rockets as he had some plays where he was able to get downhill and finish at the rim. He also saw some minutes late in the fourth quarter. Mike Conley was giving the rookie some advice from the bench as he missed his second straight game due to injury.
Even though Dillingham has upped his play, there are some things he has to clean up. He committed some turnovers late in the 4th quarter of a close game, and that’s something he’ll need to be mindful of. He even acknowledged it during postgame when asked about earning the trust of the coaching staff.
“I’m trying to earn their trust, probably not all the way there, I turned it over 102-104 we was up so you’re going to mess up it’s just the little things and being able to play through it and learn from it.”
What do Rotations Look Like With Conley in the Lineup?
Whenever Mike Conley returns to the starting lineup, the Timberwolves will have Naz Reid, Donte DiVincenzo, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, and Dillingham off the bench. This gives the Timberwolves many options with backup guards, but distributing minutes will get tricky.
Reid will see at least 20 minutes providing backup minutes for Julius Randle and Rudy Gobert. Between Dillingham, Alexander-Walker, and DiVincenzo, it’ll be hard to give them all consistent minutes, and something Chris Finch will have to balance. Now, all of them can see the floor. During the Rockets game, the Timberwolves ran some three-guard lineups for certain stretches. Some of those lineups included Dillingham, Alexander-Walker, and Anthony Edwards.
There’s potential there; the only downside is the Timberwolves would be giving up a lot of size, especially guarding wings. We saw some of those problems against the Celtics where Jayson Tatum was being guarded by Alexander-Walker, and he attacked the paint, finishing over the smaller guard. Even so, having another player who can produce off the bench is huge for the Timberwolves.
Can it Translate to Winning?
Moral victories aren’t enough for the Timberwolves. They are currently on a three-game losing streak and want to get back in the winning column. They’ll have that chance when they face the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday night, where they’ll face De’Aaron Fox, one of the league’s top scorers.
December is right around the corner, and now is the time when teams start to establish themselves. We’re also nearing the time when trade talks start to gain traction. It could be something the Timberwolves could look into if they can’t find enough minutes for the three guards coming off the bench. Trading one for a wing could be an option if the Timberwolves don’t makeup ground in the Western Conference. For now, it seems like the team has found a rhythm, and next month will be a test to see if things will swing in their favor.
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