But after you grab that late night cup of coffee and you turn on FanDuel Sports Network North to watch the Wolves for the first time this season, you’ll notice a big difference in the starting lineup.

Minnesota Timberwolves name Donte DiVincenzo starter

And that is because, according to NBA insider Chris B. Haynes, head coach Chris Finch has made a change at starting point guard. Former veteran starter Mike Conley is heading to the bench. In his place will be… Donte DiVincenzo.

Sources: Minnesota Timberwolves will award Donte DiVincenzo the starting point guard spot to open the 2025-26 NBA season. Mike Conley will remain a vital piece. More on The Association on @NBATV at 5pm PT. pic.twitter.com/f2e6WL3fVV

— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) October 22, 2025

Related: Timberwolves Star Questionable for Season Opener

There is a lot we can take away from this news, and most of it isn’t that positive. First, there was talk that Mike Conley was feeling stronger and healthier, entering this season, than he has in years previous.

That led some to believe that he could return to more of the guy we saw two years ago, who averaged 11.4 points and 5.9 assists in 2023-24, and less like the Mike Conley who averaged 8.2 points and 4.5 assists per night last year. Clearly, that is not what the Minnesota Timberwolves saw during training camp.

Of course, Father Time is undefeated and Conley is 38 years old. If the Wolves were relying on the 18-year veteran for big minutes in 2025-26, that would have been a gross miscalculation.

Rob Dillingham not developing like MN Timberwolves hoped?

Much more worrisome than Mike’s decline is the slow-moving development of former No. 8 overall pick, Rob Dillingham. If Conley is not capable of a starter role any longer, the second-year point guard out of Kentucky was supposed to be the natural heir to that position.

Rob Dillingham is as shifty and as quickly as almost any player in the league, but it’s good seeing him learning how to change gears and play with more pace & patience in year-2 pic.twitter.com/GP2XEiGufc

— Point Made Basketball (@pointmadebball) October 17, 2025

Unfortunately, Rob did not impress Chris Finch and the Timberwolves enough to earn that spot, which is probably why we’ll see the 28-year-old DiVincenzo in the starting five Wednesday night against the Blazers.

• Donte DiVincenzo 2024-25 Stats: 62 Gms | 11.7 PPG | 3.7 RPG | 3.6 APG | 39.7% 3PT

For a more positive spin, Donte historically plays better when he starts, so this change should help get his best. No Mike Conley or Rob Dillingham also means we will see Anthony Edwards (if he plays) on the ball more often, to start games, until one of those natural point guards take the floor with him.

An Ant + DiVincenzo backcourt could also cause some matchup problems in the future, depending on the night. Still, there’s no doubt the Minnesota Timberwolves would trade any of those positives in for better play out of Dilly, who is still extremely young, at just 21.

In the meantime, some moves needed to be made, in order to round out the final opening night roster. So Saturday evening, the Wolves announced those transactions. First, they waived four depth players, Jules Bernard, Tristen Newton, Zyon Pullin and Alize Johnson.

Minneapolis/St. Paul – The Minnesota Timberwolves today announced the team has waived guards Jules Bernard, Tristen Newton and Zyon Pullin and forward Alize Johnson. The Timberwolves roster stands at 17 players.

Minnesota Timberwolves Press Release – October 18, 2025 – 4:20 p.m. CDT

Minnesota Timberwolves convert contract of Johnny Juzang

But that was only the beginning. From there, the MN Timberwolves converted the contract of UCLA’s Johnny Juzang — a 24-year-old wing who fell out of favor in Utah after three seasons but shot his way into a two-way contract during his preseason tryout in Minnesota.

Minneapolis/St. Paul – The Minnesota Timberwolves today announced the team has converted guard Johnny Juzang to a two-way contract. Per team policy, terms of the agreement were not released.

Minnesota Timberwolves Press Release – October 18, 2025 – 4:20 p.m. CDT

Johnny Juzang off-screen 3 pic.twitter.com/Lx1GKPQzmI

— Timberwolves Clips (@WolvesClips) October 8, 2025

While Juzang’s signing this fall flew relatively under the radar, he certainly did not come in as a scrub with little NBA experience. After two successful years at UCLA (played one season at Kentucky in 2019-20), Johnny came out after his junior season back in 2022.

While he went undrafted, Juzang quickly earned a two-way contract with the Utah Jazz, out of the preseason. A few months later, in February 2023, he found his way onto an NBA court for the first time.

Juzang ended up playing 18 games that first season in Utah, a number that grew over the next two years, all the way up to 64 games played (18 starts) in 2024-25. In his final year wearing a Jazz uniform, Johnny averaged 8.9 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 19.8 minutes per game during his final season with the Jazz.

Wolves exercise rookie options on both Rob Dillingham and Terrence Shannon Jr

All eyes will be on Rob Dillingham, when the season opens in Portland next week. How much will the 20-year-old play, how soon will Minnesota Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch call his name off the bench? Those are only the start of the questions that surround the second year point guard out of Kentucky.

• Rob Dillingham 2024-25 Stats (49 Games) : 10.5 MPG | 4.5 PPG | 2.0 APG | 1.0 RPG | 1.1 TO

Meanwhile, the Minnesota Timberwolves announced last week that their other 2024 first round pick, Terrence Shannon Jr has earned his spot in the regular season rotation and Finchy confirmed he will be called upon early and often, starting Wednesday in Portland.

But no matter their roles now, president of basketball operations Tim Connelly showed confidence in the future of both youngsters Saturday evening, when he exercised the first round options on their first round rookie contracts, locking them both in through the 2026-27 season.

The Minnesota Timberwolves today announced the team has exercised team options on guards Rob Dillingham and Terrence Shannon Jr. 

Minnesota Timberwolves Press Release – October 18, 2025 – 4:26 p.m. CDT

Terrence Shannon Jr. explosive transition dunk, created by the Rob Dillingham block + assist pic.twitter.com/wCGFv3rMbX

— Timberwolves Clips (@WolvesClips) July 12, 2024

During the preseason, the 2024 No. 8 overall pick teetered between reckless to downright ugly, which isn’t exactly the step forward in development that Wolves coaches and executives were hoping to see when the team arrived at Mayo Clinic Square for the start of training camp last month.

• T.J. Shannon Jr. 2024-25 Stats (32 Games) : 10.6 MPG | 4.3 PPG | 1.0 APG | 1.5 RPG | 0.5 TO

TJ Shannon Jr, on the other hand, has been the anti Rob Dillingham, ever since the 25-year-old found his footing off the bench toward the end of last season. In 2025-26, the Minnesota Timberwolves hope to use him as both a high-minute stopper on defense, and offensive igniter on offense, if he can prove to be effective in that role.

Entering the offseason, Minnesota’s most significant need, arguably, was at point guard. With Anthony Edwards, Jaden McDaniels and TJ Shannon Jr on the wings, plus Naz Reid, Rudy Gobert and Julius Randle all locked in long-term down low, the Timberwolves are an upgrade away at point guard from being a team without weaknesses.

MN Timberwolves trying to take training wheels off Rob Dillingham

But money is tight when you are up against the second apron of the NBA luxury tax system for the second-straight season, which is why Nickeil Alexander-Walker signed elsewhere in the offseason.

Thus, Tim Connelly was handcuffed into returning last year’s PG duo of grizzled vet, Mike Conley and uber-talented recent top 10 pick, Rob Dillingham. In theory, standing pat is the right move. Conley still has enough game left in him to give a solid 15 minutes per night and we are now entering Rob’s second season.

At some point, you have to take the training wheels off, especially when we are talking about a kid drafted as high as Dillingham was. That’s why head coach Chris Finch challenged the size-challenged 20-year-old out of Kentucky.

Minnesota Timberwolves unimpressed by Dillingham’s development?

Unfortunately, through training camp and now halfway through the preseason schedule, those who cover the Minnesota Timberwolves, including Jon Krawczynski (The Athletic), are not seeing a much-improved version of Rob Dillingham.

Instead, it sounds like former Connelly draft pick (Denver) Bones Hyland is making a play for some of Rob’s minutes. And reading some of Finchy’s quotes recently, you can tell he is not impressed by Dillingham’s growth since last season either.

It is still early, but Hyland just seems to have a much better feel for who he is as a player and what he can do to help than Dillingham. The 2024 No. 8 pick is still just 20 years old and barely played as a rookie last year. The learning curve will be unavoidable. He needs time to play, adjust to the speed of the game and figure out who he is as a player.

“I think the key for Rob is to pick a direction and go,” Finch said. “I think physicality gets him if he’s trying to always reverse course. Then, if he has to fight it at that point in time, he should be looking to get off of it.”

Dillingham looked his best when he was out in the open court, particularly during a sequence in the second quarter when he grabbed the ball in transition, surged up the court, hit the paint against Pacers big Jay Huff and kicked it out to Terrence Shannon Jr. for a wide-open corner 3. Finch wants Dillingham to keep things simple and to use his speed to inject pace into the game.

The Athletic

The Timberwolves jumped up to 8th overall during the 2024 NBA Draft in order to select Rob Dillingham. They hoped the young Wildcat was on his way to developing into an elite offensive player up top that would make it impossible for opposing teams to stack their defenses up on Anthony Edwards.

Rob Dillingham is still young, but it’s time he shows us more

Rob is still very young, as Krawczysnki points out. That said, this is a Minnesota Timberwolves team with intentions to win now. It’s going to be a lot more difficult to do that if Dillingham doesn’t take a significant step forward in his development between now and April, when the NBA will start ramping up for the playoffs.

As a rookie, Dillingham played in 49 games but averaged just 10.5 minutes per game. He shot 44.1% from the field, but only 33.8% from deep. As Finch noted to The Athletic, how well Dillingham can adjust to the speed of the game is key.

This is what Rob Dillingham needs to do offensively whenever he’s on the court

Use his speed and handle to get into the paint and create havoc on the defense, creating openings for his teammates on the 3PT-line
pic.twitter.com/jb2kRO85Mf

— Point Made Basketball (@pointmadebball) October 10, 2025

Minnesota needs Dillingham to be able to not be a complete liability on defense, while showing off his innate ability to maneuver through traffic on offense and find open scorers. What they do not need is a siv on defense and a turnover machine on offense. So far, he’s been much more the latter.

Chris Finch will need someone to step into a transition process for Mike Conley. The 37-year-old showed clear signs of decline last year, and finding the next man up may determine the ultimate outcome for the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2025-26.

Those two youngsters aren’t the only big names to represent the Timberwolves this summer. Minnesota needs Rob Dillingham to take serious steps forward this offseason and he’ll be given the chance to showcase where he’s at. Fellow first round pick Terrence Shannon Jr. will join him.

Second year talent make MN Timberwolves Summer League roster

Rob Dillingham looked like he needed much more development than Terrence Shannon Jr. did last season as rookies in the NBA. Both of them are going to get run for the Minnesota Timberwolves during the Summer League circuit in Las Vegas. The roster was made public on Thursday.

The most notable names on the roster outside of the two recent draft picks include Dillingham, Shannon Jr., Miller, and Clark. Each of them got run during different parts of the Minnesota Timberwolves regular season last year.

Shannon Jr. has arguably already outgrown the constraints of the Summer League. He played in 32 games last season for Minnesota and averaged 10.6 minutes per game. He scored just 4.3 points per game, but was a bright spot when the training wheels came off.

Terrence Shannon Jr. in the last 30 hours:

— 24 points
— 11 rebounds
— 7 assists
— 8/17 FG, 2/7 3P, 6/6 FT
— 49 minutes

Not only is he playing with nonstop energy, but he is also playing like a 30-year-old vet. Incredibly bought in on defense, and the offense has looked great. pic.twitter.com/NJUVhV0iAj

— Charlie Walton (@CharlieWaltonMN) February 14, 2025

The Timberwolves saw Shannon Jr. record a career-high 25 points against the Los Angeles Lakers in February, and he poured in double-digits on five separate occasions. With the departure of Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Shannon Jr. looks like a prime candidate to pick up extra minutes in the rotation.

It will be interesting to see how both Brenginer and Zikarski fare stateside. The former is expected to join Minnesota this season and could push for minutes as a backup center. The latter is expected to stay in Australia and continue to develop until the Timberwolves need his services.

Related: ESPN Expert Crowns Wolves as 1st Round NBA Draft Winner

Dillingham showed flashes that made him a lottery pick last season. Unfortunately they didn’t translate to consistent production at the NBA level and he was often riding the pine. The Minnesota Timberwolves desperately need a facilitator to run the offense and contribute behind Mike Conley. Dillingham’s opportunity is right in front of him.

The NBA Summer League starts on July 10 and the championship game is scheduled for July 20th. Minnesota kicks off their practices on Monday July 7th and will be led by assistant coach Kevin Hanson.

From the second quarter on vs Milwaukee, the Wolves were chasing on the scoreboard. They’d fall down by a handful (or two) of points, then claw it back to even, just to fall behind again.

Minnesota Timberwolves vs Bucks’ disappointing end

But then, down 99-94 with 2:51 remaining, the Timberwolves made their final run of the game, outscoring the Bucks 7-0 over the next two minutes to take a 101-99 lead, which finished on a Naz Reid exclamation-point corner three, with just 47.1 seconds left. Unfortunately, those were the last points Minnesota scored.

After Naz’ clutch bucket, Milwaukee proceeded to put the ball in the basket on both of the Bucks’ next two possessions. Meanwhile, Anthony Edwards went 0-for-2 (10-for-33 shooting in the game) on the other side of the floor, both pull-up jumpers.

Ant’s final miss came on his 17th three-point attempt of a game in which he made just four. Final score: Bucks 103, Wolves 101

ANTHONY EDWARDS DOES NOT DO OVERTIMES 🔥🔥🔥pic.twitter.com/E0hdLpmlK1

— Hater Central (@TheHateCentral) February 13, 2025

Asked after the game if he was mad about his final two possessions vs Milwaukee, Edwards shrugged it off and chalked it up to ‘some fall and some don’t’. He remained adamant too, that the final shot above was better than any other shot he could have gotten.

Wolves coach Chris Finch calls out rookie Rob Dillingham

Head coach Chris Finch agreed with his superstar, telling reporters that he had no problem with the Wolves’ final shot or the game’s final possession. Instead, he pointed to other flaws in the Minnesota Timberwolves performance Wednesday.

Yes, Ant had a rough night from the field (29% FG, 28 PTS, 7 REB, 4 AST) but Finchy was less concerned about his superstar and more concerned about his rookie. The 5th-year head coach made very clear during his postgame press conference that Minnesota’s biggest problem vs Milwaukee was their lack of organization and sense of calm offensively.

Finch specifically called out No. 8 overall draft pick Rob Dillingham, bluntly telling gathered media that Rob “is trying to search his [own] offense too much” and that he needs to search more for smarter pace, how to get into the paint and pass more…

“We got the ball in Joe’s hands to calm things down a little bit. We certainly need more from Rob in that situation, we need more of a point guard. Right now, I think he is trying to search his offense too much and he needs to search pace, search the paint and search the pass.”

Chris Finch postgame press conference – Timberwolves vs Bucks

With veteran point guard Mike Conley out, Finch was hoping Dillingham would grow up a little bit, as a point guard last night… and the rookie failed to answer the call. That’s why the Wolves eventually turned the offense over to 37-year-old Joe Ingles.

More from Finch on Rob Dillingham’s tough night vs Milwaukee

On the night, 20-year-old Rob Dillingham finished with 13 minutes off the bench, where he shot just 1-for-5 (0-for-2 from deep). But that’s only the beginning of what was a hideous Wednesday night box score — 2 PTS, 0 AST, 1 REB, 1 TO, -6 (+/-). Finch wasn’t done talking about Rob, though.

Related: Timberwolves’ Pursuit of Kevin Durant Far From Over

When asked by independent Minnesota Timberwolves reporter Dane Moore if it is critical they find a calming point guard presence who can control the game when necessary, while Conley is out, Finch said “yeah for sure” and again brought the conversation back to his rookie point guard.

Dane Moore: “Does that just feel critical in whatever this time is that Mike [Conley] is going to be out for, is just having, whether it’s Joe or just in general, having more control in the halfcourt?”

Finch: “Yeah for sure. We need to get more organized. We talked about that the other day after the Cleveland game. There are certain lineups out there… and again, this is what we need from Rob. We need him to get us into [plays] and get us more organized and play with some structure.”

Chris Finch postgame press conference – Timberwolves vs Bucks

I would disagree with Chris Finch, when it comes to the final possession of last night’s game. The Wolves, most importantly, need Anthony Edwards to be better in clutch time, where he has consistently struggled early on in his career. But I absolutely agree with his assessment on Rob Dillingham.

Report: Mavs Engaged Timberwolves in Luka Doncic Trade Talks

Until he learns how to control the pace of play and learn more to take what defenses are giving him, Minnesota will not be able to move on from Mike Conley… which isn’t a good thing since the 37-year-old point guard is on one of the worst seasons of his NBA career.

How will Dillingham react to this type of public criticism and why did Finch feel like he had to go there with media, regarding his point guard. In almost all scenarios, these things are worked on and discussed between player and coach long before called out publicly like this. So… what is Rob struggling to understand behind the scenes?

One of the bright spots, when given actual run, has been first round pick Rob Dillingham. Unfortunately just as he started to get going, he was put on the shelf with an ankle injury.

Rob Dillingham back for the Minnesota Timberwolves

The University of Kentucky point guard last played for Minnesota on December 23. He took a quick trip to the G-League as a rehab assignment, and now he’s ready to roll.

NEWS: @Timberwolves recall guard Rob Dillingham from G League affiliate @iawolves.

Minnesota also transfers guard Tristen Newton to Iowa.

— Timberwolves PR (@Twolves_PR) January 16, 2025

The North Carolina native has played in 15 games this season. He has averaged just 3.7 points but has only garnered an averaged of 8.5 minutes per game.

Tristen Newton heads back to the G-League with Dillingham’s recall. The rookie guard saw just 1:15 minutes of action while with the Timberwolves. His only stat was a recorded rebound against the Washington Wizards.

Timberwolves Head coach Chris Finch has seen the offense spike upwards while Dillingham is on the floor. He is a dynamic talent capable of passing the rock, and he can provide points off the bench as well. It remains to be seen just how open Finch will be to committing consistent time for his rookie.

22 PTS 🐺 6 REB 🐺 7 AST 🐺 3 STL

Welcome to the G! 2024 NBA first round pick Rob Dillingham SHOWED OUT in his debut with the @iawolves. pic.twitter.com/JcB5vqfpJQ

— NBA G League (@nbagleague) January 14, 2025

Despite lackluster results and an evident amount of aging, Finch was incredibly slow to take veteran guard Mike Conley out of the starting lineup. Donte DeVincenzo as a starter has helped the rotations to work a bit better as of late.

Related: Anthony Edwards Fined Again

It’s clear the Timberwolves are frustrated, and they should be with each mounting loss. This is a team that could smell a championship last year, and now are nowhere close. Maybe Dillingham can provide a powerful boost.

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.

Minnesota Timberwolves will go without Rob Dillingham for a week or two

The Wolves wanted another point guard option other than Mike Conley, and Dillingham seemed like the perfect young protege. And that could still be the case. Hell, the kid is only 20 years old (on Saturday). Unfortunately, one day prior to his birthday, it was announced that Rob will miss one to two weeks with a grade 2 ankle sprain.

Wolves say Dillingham is diagnosed with a Grade 2 sprain with a return to play timeline in 1-2 weeks. Will be evaluated again in a week https://t.co/NsxwKyEiq9

— Jon Krawczynski (@JonKrawczynski) January 4, 2025

Nearing the halfway point of his rookie NBA season, Dillingham hasn’t made the impact he or Tim Connelly hoped, when he was drafted by the Timberwolves back in June. Rob has played in just 15 games, averaging 3.7 points, 1.7 assists and 0.7 rebounds in 8.5 minutes per game.

While the results haven’t been great, as of yet, there is no doubting the talent inside of Rob Dillingham. He is shooting .451 from the field and .429 from 3-point land. Last season, in his only year at Kentucky, Dillingham played 23.3 minutes per game, averaging 15.2 points, 3.9 assists and 2.9 rebounds per game.

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

Related: Does a Jerami Grant for Julius Randle Trade Make Sense for the Minnesota Timberwolves?

The Minnesota Timberwolves some roster moves on Friday, too. Their other 2024 1st round pick was, Terrence Shannon Jr, was sent down to Iowa this morning, before being recalled back to Minneapolis just seven hours later. The Wolves also signed Indiana Pacers 2024 2nd round pick, Tristen Newton, off waivers.

Minnesota Timberwolves can’t get out of their own way

Things have not gone well for the Timberwolves. The Karl-Anthony Towns trade shook up the roster just weeks before the regular season, and the group hasn’t found itself since. Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo have been questionable fits, and Chris Finch has failed to maximize his players potential. Once viewed as a title contender, Minnesota has plummeted in the latest power rankings.

Both ESPN and The Athletic had Minnesota rounding out the top ten recently. They now see the team as struggling to maintain top-half positioning.

Chemistry takes time. Although the Wolves insisted their roster shake-up on the eve of training camp — exchanging Karl-Anthony Towns for Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo — would add strength and depth, it has been clear this season that the team will take time to adjust to its new makeup. Randle has had some bright individual performances, but the Wolves have not brought the same intensity on defense they were known for last season. There’s plenty of time to capture it, but the Wolves’ growing pains out of the gate are apparent.

Jamal Collier on the Timberwolves (ESPN)

Chemistry is certainly an issue for Minnesota. Randle and DiVincenzo are different players. Specifically, Randle has to figure out how to gel in the paint with Rudy Gobert, and Minnesota has made an identity around defense. There is no identity to speak of yet. The Timberwolves can turn things around, but the clock is ticking.

Julius Randle has to find a way to consistently stay more engaged defensively off the ball. His off-ball defense was more alert after giving up a Jaylen Brown 3 early, but you can't ball-watch here, especially on a 3-point attempt.

Ant looked pissed, saying, "Get it, Ju!" https://t.co/3uDShnRrUk pic.twitter.com/fYawV9GQgO

— Charlie Walton (@CharlieWaltonMN) November 25, 2024

We’re scraping here a bit, as we’ve already acknowledged Anthony Edwards’ shooting and Julius Randle’s good health to begin the season, and Minnesota is scuffling. But Alexander-Walker has been a bright spot for a bench that has been thinner than expected due to Donte DiVincenzo’s struggles and Rob Dillingham’s lack of readiness. Alexander-Walker is shooting career highs from the field (48 percent) and from 3 (44.4 percent) while compiling a career-best 2.6 assists per game. Alexander-Walker is still an impact defender for a team that is disappointing on that end.

Law Murray on the Timberwolves (The Athletic)

As much as the players themselves have proven to be an issue when it comes to acclimating, head coach Chris Finch has failed as well. Rob Dillingham may have started slow, but he has picked up in a big way with Mike Conley unavailable. The head coach hasn’t caught on, and had him primarily on the bench for the latest overtime loss at home against the Houston Rockets.

Rob Dillingham saw the biggest opportunity of his young NBA career Tuesday night and showcased what he could, in time, bring to this Timberwolves team.

Playmaking vision, downhill burst, shooting and quick decision-making would all boost Minnesota's offense: pic.twitter.com/IrtCds0zxo

— Jackson Frank (@jackfrank_jjf) November 27, 2024

Dillingham’s last two games, the only in which he has gotten double-digit minutes, have resulted in 26 total points, eight assists, and just three turnovers. Even when Conley returns, the lack of production by the veteran means the rookie could give the team a spark.

That needs to come from somewhere with starter Jaden McDaniels shooting just 29.6% from deep and a career-low 44% from the field. But the Timberwolves biggest problem, so far this season, has been on defense. Rudy Gobert is a shadow of his former defensive self, and Julius Randle has proven to be a huge downgrade vs Karl-Anthony Towns.

Related: Report: NBA Teams View Discontent Minnesota Timberwolves Guard as Possible Trade Candidate

The Minnesota Timberwolves were one of the best squads in the NBA all of last season. However, they made a massive blockbuster trade just days before the start of training camp that sent Karl-Anthony Towns to New York. While some thought it would be a lateral move at worst, the Wolves have not played as well with Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo on the roster. The biggest difference from last year, however, is the elite defense that took them to the Western Conference Finals earlier this year has not been nearly as good this fall.

Jason Burgos on the Timberwolves (Sportsnaut)

The NBA season is a long one and the Timberwolves still have time on their side. They are 11th in the Western Conference right now, but just five games out of the top spot. The play-in tournament shouldn’t be their goal, but they’ll be scrapping to get there if the ship isn’t righted soon.

Minnesota Timberwolves may have a gem in Rob Dillingham

When the offseason started there wasn’t a straightforward way for the Minnesota Timberwolves to improve their roster. Up against the luxury tax, they opted to get aggressive in the draft and trade up to get Rob Dillingham. The talented point guard could wind up being a Rookie of the Year candidate, and he’s going to get real rotation minutes for Chris Finch.

Rob Dillingham dished out nine assists to zero turnovers in 23 minutes.

The Timberwolves have set up Dillingham to be in the ideal environment to learn true point guard play from Mike Conley.

Minnesota will be relying on Dillingham this season to play a critical bench role. pic.twitter.com/a1aS01bTHJ

— Evan Sidery (@esidery) October 12, 2024

Up against the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday night, Dillingham’s vision was on full display. He played 23 minutes and dished out nine assists while generating zero turnovers. The talented rookie also picked up three steals and four rebounds. His time on the court equated to a team-high +10.

Rob Dillingham stepback PnR 3 pic.twitter.com/sVsnLr5aOb

— Timberwolves Clips (@WolvesClips) October 12, 2024

Not everything came up roses for Dillingham though. He was just 2-for-8 from the field, and hit only one of his five three point shot attempts on the evening. Offensively, Finch will be looking for Dillingham to provide a second unit spark when Mike Conley needs a breather.

It is Conley that will substantially benefit Dillingham this season. The battle-tested veteran can help to smooth out the learning curve for the Kentucky youngster. The more that Dillingham can step up, the better Minnesota’s second unit will be. Julius Randle is tasked with replacing the production lost from Karl-Anthony Towns. Donte DiVincenzo is going to be asked to score plenty. There is still room for Dillingham to contribute in a significant way.

Related: Minnesota Timberwolves Get Positive Update on Julius Randle Injury

Although the Timberwolves need Dillingham to contribute offensively, such positive court vision is great to see from him when the shot isn’t falling.