Expect Timberwolves draftee Rob Dillingham to 'play right away'

Minnesota moved up in the first round of the NBA draft Wednesday night for the Kentucky guard.

Kentucky guard Rob Dillingham (0) drives past Texas A&M guard Manny Obaseki (35) during the second half at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville on March 15, 2024. / Steve Roberts-USA TODAY Sports

The Timberwolves had a clear objective in Wednesday night's NBA draft: finding players who can play fast, create their own shots and inject more life — particularly on offense — into the second unit.

Wolves president of basketball operations Tim Connelly and Co. found not just one, but two players who fit that bill in Kentucky guard Rob Dillingham and Illinois guard Terrence Shannon Jr.

The former was a player not many would have expected the Timberwolves to land. They didn't have many assets, and Connelly said they weren't willing to give up any of their core role players to move up in the draft. But Connelly got creative, sending a first-round pick in 2031 and a protected pick swap in 2030 for Dillingham, whom the San Antonio Spurs selected with the No. 8 overall pick.

While Connelly views those picks as quite valuable, he believes the Timberwolves are getting a player who can make an immediate impact. Expect Dillingham to see minutes from the get-go.

"Yeah, for sure," Connelly told reporters Wednesday night when asked whether Dillingham will play right away. "I don't think you move as aggressive as this and sit on him. ... He's a guy that, from Day 1, is going to have a role and responsibility, certainly it's going to be hard for him, but I don't think you're that aggressive in the top 10 with a guy you don't think can play right away."

Dillingham, 19, is the type of player that fits the bill of exactly what the Timberwolves need. He's a guard who can create for himself, knock down shots from 3-point range and spread the floor. He's been touted as one of the best — if not the best — shot creators in the draft as well as one of the best shooters in this draft. Those are both skillsets the Timberwolves needed on the roster.

"We were trying to address certain things this offseason, certainly bench scoring, ability to create for themselves and others," Connelly said. "(Timberwolves coach Chris Finch) talks about it all the time, breaking the paint, breaking the paint, playing in the paint, playing with a bit more pace, and all of those attributes are really hallmarks for (Dillingham's) game."

Dillingham's numbers at Kentucky last season would suggest as much. Despite coming off the bench, he was the Wildcats' second-leading scorer at 15.2 points per game while shooting 48% from the field and 44% from 3-point range. He also averaged 3.9 assists and 2.9 rebounds per game while being named to the All-Southeastern Conference Second Team and the SEC Sixth Man of the Year.

"I feel like I can be as much of a help as they need me to be," Dillingham told NBA TV after the draft. "And whatever they need me to do, I feel like I can come in and do it, for sure."

The one knock on Dillingham is his defense. At 6-foot-1, 164 pounds, Dillingham is a bit undersized for the NBA, and it will likely be difficult for him to defend much larger bodies at the next level. But Connelly said they will challenge him defensively and expect him to embrace that challenge.

Dillingham understands, too, that the Timberwolves believe in him and gave up assets to bring him in.

"It just shows that they trust me," Dillingham told reporters following the draft when asked about the picks Minnesota used to move up for him in the draft. "That they're trusting in me to develop, so if they trust me, that's all I needed and I feel like that's all I needed from any team.

"Them actually showing me is just more of a blessing."

And what Dillingham brings to the table can help the Timberwolves in the short term as well as the long term. Connelly views Dillingham as a true 1, and it's likely Minnesota sees him as the successor to Mike Conley, who's under contract for two more seasons but turns 37 years old this fall.

Conley's presence will give Dillingham time to develop, and Conley as a savvy veteran who's seen just about everything across over 1,100 career games will be a player who Dillingham can learn from.

Dillingham is looking forward to absorbing as much as he can from the Wolves' veterans.

"It's really just a blessing because I get to learn from a lot of players and veterans and players that's real good, so them helping me is just a plus for me," Dillingham said.

It appears with the selection of Dillingham, the Wolves have established a strong backcourt for years to come in Dillingham and Anthony Edwards. It's an exciting prospect to tout a dynamic guard duo that can create for themselves and others as the Wolves try to build on their best season in decades.

"I don't even know what to expect, honestly," Dillingham told NBA TV. "You know what Anthony Edwards brings, so you know what to expect from him, but I'll definitely be working, too. So I don't know what to expect yet, but you'll see when the season comes."