Rob Dillingham Sees Fresh Start With Bulls After Limited Role in Minnesota
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Chicago, IL — Guard Rob Dillingham says a move to the rebuilding Bulls has given him the chance to play through mistakes after a tense year-and-a-half with the title-focused Timberwolves.
Minnesota surrendered an unprotected 2031 first-round pick and a 2030 pick swap to San Antonio to select Dillingham eighth overall in the 2024 draft. Despite that investment, the former Kentucky standout rarely saw the floor; he logged more than 20 minutes just once this season before being dealt to Chicago ahead of last month’s trade deadline.
“When you do play, you’ve got to be perfect, or you won’t get more opportunities,” Dillingham told The Athletic, recalling the pressure he felt in Minnesota. “Your whole life you just played basketball and learned from mistakes. For me, being a smaller guard, there was way less room for error.”
The scarcity of minutes shook his confidence. “If you’re working hard every day and don’t really get a chance, you start to question, ‘Am I really good at basketball?’” he said.
Chicago’s roster reset has provided immediate playing time. Dillingham has topped 20 minutes in eight of his 11 appearances with the Bulls, who traded several veterans at the deadline to accelerate a rebuild. “They’re building me up,” he noted. “I can mess up, and they teach me after I mess up.”
Dillingham also suggested that messaging from Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch and his staff was sometimes unclear, while communication from Bulls coach Billy Donovan has been direct. “When I know what you want from me, it’s easier for me to help the team,” he said, adding that Donovan has emphasized decision-making as a key to his long-term NBA role.
Source: HoopsRumors
