Originally tagged as someone who could immediately help Minnesota at the point guard position, the start to Dillingham’s NBA career has instead been more of a marathon than a sprint. Then, on January 3, news broke that the Timberwolves rookie would miss one to two weeks with a grade two right ankle sprain.

Minnesota Timberwolves assign Rob Dillingham to G-League for rehab assignment

Nine days later, the Minnesota Timberwolves announced that Rob Dillingham has been cleared for 5-v-5 basketball activities. Thus, he has been assigned to Iowa for a rehab assignment with the G-League Wolves.

The @Timberwolves today announced the following injury update on guard Rob Dillingham:

Dillingham has been cleared for full-contact, 5-on-5 basketball activities, and subsequently has been assigned to the @iawolves, the team’s G League Affiliate, for a rehab assignment.

— Timberwolves PR (@Twolves_PR) January 12, 2025

Iowa’s next game is on January 13 (Monday) vs the Portland G-League affiliate, the Rip City Remix. It will be the first G-League game that he has participated in. In a very limited 8.5 minutes per game with the Minnesota Timberwolves, Dillingham is averaging 3.7 points and 1.7 assists, in 15 NBA appearances.

Related: Timberwolves Call Up Newly Acquired Guard from Iowa Along with Fellow 2024 Draft Pick

Prior to his injury, Wolves fans and pundits have been calling for Rob — who is shooting 42.9% from deep — to get more playing time. I’d expect he will get a lot of minutes in whatever games he gets down in Iowa, and that he’ll be rather prolific on the stat sheet.

Rob Dillingham in 24 Mins vs the Rockets last night

12 PTS (5-13 FG, 2-5 3PT)
7 AST
5 REBS

Is he rookie of the year in 2 Games?? pic.twitter.com/0LjfNwlfVl

— Frankie Vision (@Frankie_Vision) November 27, 2024

Whether he plays just one game, on Monday, or if he stays in Iowa there for through Wednesday, when they match up vs the Greensboro Swarm (Hornets), Dillingham will get all of the opportunities he needs with the basketball in his hands.

Minnesota’s other 1st round pick, Terrence Shannon Jr, played two games with the Iowa Wolves late this week. He scored 47 points in the first and 33 points in the second. Dillingham’s stats should look just as stuffed. The Timberwolves next play on Monday and Wednesday, just like the Iowa Wolves do.

NEWS: The Iowa Wolves have added Gabe Kalscheur from the available player pool. Kalscheur will be available for Friday's game against Rio Grande Valley.

Welcome to the Pack, @GabrielKalsche1! 🐺

📰 https://t.co/YneBFYBA4p pic.twitter.com/nzRbIDB37G

— Iowa Wolves (@iawolves) February 19, 2024

Former Gopher Gabe Kalscheur signs with Iowa Wolves

Gabe went unsigned in last offseason’s NBA Draft and signed with the Washington Wizards G League affiliate. He has played 18 total games this season and things have not gone well. In just 10 minutes per game, Kalscheur is averaging 2.9 points per game on just 31% from the field and 21% from deep.

He’s supposed to be your classic 3-and-D player, which the NBA and G-League cannot get enough of, in today’s game, but he’ll obviously have to figure out whatever has gone devastatingly wrong for a kid who was supposed to be one of the best sharpshooters the University of Minnesota had ever seen, when he arrived on campus six years ago.

Kalscheur’s career with the Minnesota Gophers was a roller-coaster

Kalscheur helped contribute three state championships to his high school alma mater in Minneapolis, before starting all 36 games of his freshman season for the Gophers. He averaged 10.0 points per game that year, good for 4th highest on the team.

Related: Lance Stephenson is Dominating G-League for Iowa Wolves

Gabe also led the team in three point percentage (41%) and free throw shooting (75%). He scored double digits in 16 games that year, including four games where he scored over 20. One notable performance was his 24 point effort against Louisville in a 2019 NCAA Tournament victory.

Gabe Kalscheur caught fire with 24pts for @GopherMBB! 🔥🔥🔥#MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/qei63QHlxv

— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 21, 2019

As a sophomore, Kalscheur started 31 games and averaged a career best of 11.6 points per game and led the Big Ten in average 3-pointers made (2.5). But where Gabe was always at his best was on the defensive side of the floor. He led the 2020 Gophers with 31 steals and came in 3rd on the team as a freshman, with 28.

Related: Gophers Stumble Again Late but Recover to Extinguish On-Fire Rutgers at The Barn

In his last season with the Gophers, Kalscheur served as a team captain, but only started 21 games and his points per game average dropped to 9.2. Then, consecutive games started streak of 88 came to an end when he broke his hand during practice. Richard Pitino was fired that summer, and Gabe never played for the Gophers again.

Instead, he transferred to Ames, Iowa, and joined the Iowa State Cyclones, bringing two years of eligibility with him. Kalscheur started 57 out of 68 games he played at Iowa State and played a huge role for a perennial NCAA Tournament team while he was there.

The Cyclones secured two March Madness victories, with Gabe on roster. He was also named to the 2022-23 All-Big 12 Second Team and 2022-23 Big 12 All-Defensive Team.

CYCLONES MOVE ON 🌪

Gabe Kalscheur goes for 24 points as Iowa State beats No. 10 Baylor for the THIRD time this season 😳 pic.twitter.com/jeEFIWkmUk

— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 9, 2023

Iowa Wolves sign Lance Stephenson to G-League Contract

In theory, that should make the Iowa Wolves, Minnesota’s G-League affiliate, a good team too. But, that has not been the case through 12 G-League games. Instead, they sit near the bottom of the Central Division standings with a poultry 3-9 record.

So right away this week, the Wolves front office decided to shake things up a little bit, signing one of the all-time NBA agitators and former Minnesota Timberwolf, Lance Stephenson, to a G-League contract.

NBA 10-year veteran Lance Stephenson is joining the Minnesota Timberwolves G League affiliate, Iowa Wolves, league sources told @hoopshype. Minnesota has an open NBA roster spot. pic.twitter.com/A9SnUTp3W3

— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) December 11, 2023

Stephenson hasn’t played in 3 of the last 4 NBA seasons, so many probably don’t know that he just turned 33-years-old. Back in 2016-17, Stephenson was brought in mid-season by Tom Thibodeau. He played a memorable 6 games, averaging 3.5 points and 1.7 rebounds in 11.2 minutes per game.

Lance Stephenson is one of my favorite all time “oh yeah, he played for the Wolves at one point” guys https://t.co/eEkKLZLpn7 pic.twitter.com/DBaWZxE9ai

— Wolves Report (@MNTwolvesreport) January 9, 2022

Related: Is Rudy Gobert a Legitimate NBA MVP Candidate?

Stephenson takes aim at deep Minnesota Timberwolves roster

I’d imagine trying to fix the Iowa Wolves’ locker room isn’t his final goal in the organization. That’s probably mission one of a plan that Stephenson hopes will land him on the Timberwolves NBA roster, where he can help provide veteran depth, attitude and deep-run playoff experience.

We’ll see if Lance has anything left in the tank but I don’t really see a downsign to this signing, from a Minnesota Timberwolves standpoint.

In case you were transfixed by Wednesday’s marathon Twins game, here’s a friendly Minnesota heads-up:

The Timberwolves got their ass kicked.

Headed to Minnesota up 2-0! ? pic.twitter.com/WID1HGFte1

— Houston Rockets (@HoustonRockets) April 19, 2018

Dear Target Center: We need your help. Thanks.

The series will return to action on Saturday. In the interim, prepare yourself for plenty of Wolves related ridicule. For those of you about that life, you can find some at the 11 minute mark of the latest NSJS podcast:

I uploaded a new episode, “Ep. 16: Fleck Rising, Pitino Falling, and Why TWolves Can Beat Rockets?”, on #spreaker #gophers #minnesota_sports #minnesota_timberwolves #minnesotagophers #mntwins https://t.co/VV7EYU4G6h

— Minnesota Sports Fan (@realmnsportsfan) April 16, 2018

As many people panic over Towns, my worries surround a different Minnesota big man:

Adding injury to insult: Wolves rookie Justin Patton had another surgery on his left foot

— Jon Krawczynski (@JonKrawczynski) April 19, 2018

Team is hopeful Patton will be ready for training camp, but this is clearly a very concerning issue for their first-round pick.

— Jon Krawczynski (@JonKrawczynski) April 19, 2018

On 2017’s Fourth of July, Justin Patton underwent surgery to “repair a broken fifth metatarsal on his left foot.” The fifth metatarsal, for the 99%+ of us who aren’t medical professionals, is the “long bone on the outside of the foot that connects to the little toe.”

Patton, the 16^th pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, came to Minnesota via the Jimmy Butler trade. Less than two weeks into his Wolves’ career, the one-and-done from Creighton slipped on a court wet spot.

via GIPHY

Why was that demon wet spot not removed?

After a five-month recovery process, the 7’ Center made his G League debut in mid-December. In his first game, Patton’s 15 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 blocks in only 16 minutes of action was so impressive it left Iowa Wolves coach Scott Roth “a little shocked.”

For those out there with Al Jefferson jerseys rotting away in the deepest corners of your closet, do me a favor: Go pull your 25 jerseys out. There is a new use for your former Big Al apparel.

On the same day Minnesota tied the Spurs for 3rd place in the Western conference, they announced that they signed a two-way contract with 24 year-old, Amile Jefferson.

As of Monday evening, the Wolves’ official website didn’t list a uniform number for our new A. Jefferson. The Duke alum wore number ten in the G-League, but if he cares about the fans, he’ll go with two-five in the NBA.

As a member of the Iowa Wolves this season, the 6’9″ 224 pound power forward is leading the G League with 13.1 RPG. Through 22 games, he is also averaging 18.0 points per game, while shooting 64% from the floor.

Earlier this month, he had a Shaq-esque 20/20 game. On January 6th vs. Texas, the newest member of the Timberwolves, finished that G-League contest with a grown-man stat-line of 28 points and 21 rebounds. Now, Tyus Jones’ college teammate will see what he can accomplish on the NBA level.

It’s like when you’re longtime friend brings one of his college friends around. Due to Amile’s relationship with this states youngest son, he’s one of ours.

Monday was the last day to sign players to two-way contracts. The way this dual agreement works is that Jefferson may spend up to 45 days with the Wolves. After that short tenure ends, he will go back to Iowa for the remainder of the season. The likely inevitable return to Hawkeye country is going to be depressing. But it’s all part of “The Process”.

If you weren’t familiar with the two-way deals, it’s because it was just introduced over this past summer. And, nope. They DO NOT have any correlation with the Clippers’ G, Lou Williams’ two girlfriend approach from 2015. This is just mean to do to yourself. 1 lady-friend is hard enough to deal with…

It was fun while it lasted: Lou Williams breaks up with one of his two girlfriends http://t.co/UfdISILbVR pic.twitter.com/6CgJDUacNC

— Global Grind (@GlobalGrind) February 25, 2015

In addition to the 15 normal roster spots, teams are allowed to add two players on two-way contracts. Minnesota is already using their first one with Anthony Brown. When considering the fact Brown is yet to play for the Wolves this season, how much, if any, playing time Jefferson will receive remains to be seen. But, that’s what everyone said about Adam Thielen.

At the end of the day, this is just a side-note, and hopefully our new A. Jefferson proves it a genius decision in the future. But right now? At this moment? F*ck it. We just completed our first 5-0 home stand since KAT was in kindergarten. I’m not concerned. Just win, baby.

Johnny Minnesota @TheJohnnyMN
Minnesota Sports Fan MinnesotaSportsFan.com