Dillingham knows what he brings to T-Wolves

Published 8:00 am Friday, July 12, 2024

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Guard Rob Dillingham has yet to play his first NBA game but he already has one former NBA star sold on what he can add for the Minnesota Timberwolves next season.

Golden State forward Draymond Green has won championships with the Warriors thanks in large part to the play of dynamic scoring guard Stephen Curry.

Green believes Minnesota “won the draft” by trading for Dillingham after he was picked No. 8 by San Antonio.

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“The reason the Minnesota Timberwolves won the draft is because they drafted their point guard of the future in Rob Dillingham, who I think is a very special player,” Green said on his podcast, The Draymond Green Show,  about the former Kentucky guard.

Green says despite Dillingham’s creativity and scoring ability that some teams were afraid to draft him.

“Some of those teams at the top of the draft were afraid because he got swag and he got game and they don’t know if his game is going to fit into their systems that don’t work and get them fired when you can just get a really good player who can score the basketball — Steph Curry — and figure out how the system works for him and then all of a sudden the franchise is in territory it’s never been in before,” Green said.

“At times, we run into these guards with swag that – they just don’t fit in the system and so teams run away from them. There’s going to be some teams that are going to regret passing on Rob Dillingham.

Dillingham will likely play behind Minnesota veteran point guard Mike Conley and with all-star Anthony Edwards, one of the NBA’s best young stars who helped Minnesota reach the Western Conference Finals last season .

Dillingham averaged 15.2 points, 2.9 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.0 steals while shooting 47.5 percent overall and 44.4 percent from 3 last season despite not being a starter for UK.

The former UK star believes more open floor space in the NBA will only elevate his play.

“I feel like I’m quick so I can get past dudes. It’s really the fact of me getting past dudes and making decisions. You’re playing with a bunch of NBA players, so players can’t really help off super a lot because these are NBA players and they knock down shots,” Dillingham said. “I feel like, for me, getting past my defender and making plays for my teammates will be way easier, and then if they don’t help, then it’s just a bucket.”