Message from Wolves coaches resonating with Rob Dillingham

Coaches encouraging Dillingham to be himself has brought him 'confidence to play freely.'

Mar 20, 2024; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Kentucky Wildcats guard Rob Dillingham (0) shoots the ball during the NCAA first round practice session at PPG Paints Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports / Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports

The Wolves coaching staff has given rookie guard Rob Dillingham an extra boost of confidence as he prepares for his Summer League debut, which will come Friday against the New Orleans Pelicans.

Dillingham, 19, was acquired by the Timberwolves after being selected with the No. 8 overall pick. The Wolves have pegged Dillingham as their point guard of the future, the one who will be handed the keys to a talented, young offense when Mike Conley eventually retires.

The young guard is looking at Summer League action as an opportunity to improve, mainly on defense, playmaking and learning the Timberwolves' sets. The offensive portion of Dillingham's game is already there as he's coming off a season in which he averaged 15.2 points per game while shooting 47% from the field and 44% from 3-point range for Kentucky.

It's that offensive side where the Wolves just want the rookie to be himself.

"Oh, I ain't gonna lie, it helped me. Because, I ain't know what they expect my first few days practicing," Dillingham said Wednesday when asked what it meant to him for the coaches to tell him to just be himself on offense. "But when he actually sat and talked to me and told me that he wants me to be me while doing everything it just gives me confidence to play freely.

"Because when you not — when you don't have confidence you can't really play your game. You'll be nervous and not playing your game leads to you not making the right passes, the same thing you always do. So, really him saying that just helped me have confidence and actually growing myself."

Rob Dillingham on what it meant for the coaches to tell him they want him to be himself in the offense

“I ain’t gonna lie, it helped me, I didn’t know what to expect my first few days practicing”@ZoneCoverageMN @Timberwolves #WolvesBack pic.twitter.com/ccoacfkNzw

— Andrew Dukowitz (@adukeMN) July 10, 2024

Timberwolves president of basketball operations Tim Connelly previously stated the team was looking for a "guy that could get his own" when selecting Dillingham. Connelly also praised the rookie's "combination of elite speed, tough shot-making and the playmaking."