Minnesota Timberwolves rookie guard Rob Dillingham He didn't have the scoring output he hoped for in his NBA Summer League debut on Friday, scoring just four points on 2-of-12 shooting from the field and 0-of-5 from the 3-point line, but he did have five rebounds and five assists in Minnesota's 81-74 win over the New Orleans Pelicans.
But in the Timberwolves' next summer league matchup against the Indiana Pacers on Sunday in Las Vegas, Dillingham got off to a phenomenal start and looked like a player worthy of being a top-10 overall draft pick.
Dillingham was a big contributor to the stat sheet before being replaced six minutes into the game, scoring or assisting on all of Minnesota's first 17 points, quickly recording eight points and four assists as the offense surged forward. Kentucky The sixth man.
From his slick pull-up three-point shots off the dribble to his amazing pick-and-roll assists to former players. Syracuse and West Virginia Big guy Jesse Edwards In a game that ended with a spectacular slam dunk, Dillingham was giving it his all and making the most of the opening few minutes: Check out two of the aforementioned highlight plays below.
Dillingham was efficient in the first six minutes of play, shooting 50% from the field and 2 of 3 from beyond the 3-point line, and spoke briefly at the Thomas & Mack Center before the start of the second quarter about what went well early on.
“My teammates were giving me open shots and I was making them,” Dillingham said.
Dillingham was selected eighth overall by the San Antonio Spurs in last month's 2024 NBA Draft. He was traded to Minnesota shortly after the selection for a protected first-round pick in 2030 and an unprotected first-round pick in 2031. He also spoke about the messages the organization conveyed to him.
“Just play your game and learn the team motto,” Dillingham said. “Play defense and we'll win games.”
The Timberwolves boasted the NBA's best defense during last year's regular season, holding opponents to a league-leading 106.5 points per game, and it's clear in this year's NBA Draft that the team is focused on adding more offensive power to complement its strong defense.
Minnesota added Dillingham, who was named SEC Sixth Man of the Year after averaging 15.2 points per game, as well as former Illinois guard Terrance Shannon In the first round. They ranked third nationally in college basketball last season with an average of 23 points per game. It will be interesting to see how the two high-scoring rookies can contribute to a strong Timberwolves team led by Lewis Hamilton. Anthony Edwards.
