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Post by XRaySpecs on Jul 17, 2024 10:05:11 GMT -6
From what I’ve seen they’ve had Rob concentrating on handling the ball and setting up others, as well as defense. I’ve been quite happy with his passing and court vision, as well as his general quickness. And he’s even been scrappy on defense. On offense, he hasn’t had many open looks since he’s had to create his own shots, but hasn’t been forcing it. Not really concerned with his shooting pecentage although because of his size he will have to be more crafty about getting his shot up. But I get the feeling he will figure it out. I guess I don't get the narrative of how focusing on ball handling makes one miss shots. To me it's just an excuse. It's not like he was 100% an off ball guy at Kentucky last year. I like what I've seen as far as his passing and court vision too. Quickness? He really hasn't looked overly quick as it's not like he's creating real advantages for himself or others. He's looked better on defense the last 2 games, but no one should be expecting even average defense THIS season at his size considering his lack of strength as a 20 yo. Your last sentence is the point on him I've been pushing back on. Many have been saying "he'll figure it out" but how do we know that? I hope he does, but what if it's next year? What we've seen from him so far is that he's a sub 30% shooter vs. SL talent. Right now, JMac would be a vastly superior option for the rotation. He's not known as a good shooter either (although the 3 pt shooting was great last year on low volume), but we know he's good a NBA things and he actually has the strength and anticipation to be a decent regular season defender (positive last year by EPM). There's just a lot of optimistic takes that HAVE to pan out immediately to make this season's backup PG slot not a major potential concern if our 37 yo PG can't maintain what was kind of outlier health for him last year.
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Post by XRaySpecs on Jul 17, 2024 10:07:54 GMT -6
Dillingham is shooting 27% through 3 summer league games. Lots of people saying that the shooting isn't a concern. Obviously 3 games of SL doesn't mean a guy can't shoot for their entire career. I do think that the Wolves should be reevaluating whether or not having him as the de facto backup PG to 37 yo for THIS season is wise. What if it takes Dilly a year to acclimate to the NBA as a shooter/finisher? While the playmaking was better than expected and the D did pickup in these SL games, we can't have a PG shooting 30% from the field. Especially a guy who offers limited defense at best. If this is the level of shooting we're going to get from Dilly, the Wolves currently don't have a backup PG. www.si.com/nba/timberwolves/minnesota-timberwolves-news/john-wall-is-rob-dillingham-s-mentor-could-he-fit-with-timberwolves-01j2vdz08r5kWall wasn't good 2 years ago and then he didn't play last year because no one wanted him. He's done as a player.
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Post by araxen on Jul 17, 2024 10:55:19 GMT -6
Isn't it normal for a PG to take a few years to come into their own in the league? I think the expectations for him this year is going to be a big let down for a lot of people.
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Post by jr on Jul 17, 2024 10:56:15 GMT -6
Dillingham is shooting 27% through 3 summer league games. Lots of people saying that the shooting isn't a concern. Obviously 3 games of SL doesn't mean a guy can't shoot for their entire career. I do think that the Wolves should be reevaluating whether or not having him as the de facto backup PG to 37 yo for THIS season is wise. What if it takes Dilly a year to acclimate to the NBA as a shooter/finisher? While the playmaking was better than expected and the D did pickup in these SL games, we can't have a PG shooting 30% from the field. Especially a guy who offers limited defense at best. If this is the level of shooting we're going to get from Dilly, the Wolves currently don't have a backup PG. www.si.com/nba/timberwolves/minnesota-timberwolves-news/john-wall-is-rob-dillingham-s-mentor-could-he-fit-with-timberwolves-01j2vdz08r5kAside from adding a vet as a deep pg backup I think taking on Wall as a mentor more or less tells Mike C he's not enough, which could be problematic. Besides, I always thought Wall was more of a scoring straight line speedster like Westbrook than a team oriented playmaker. Mike does the things RD needs to develop.
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Post by XRaySpecs on Jul 17, 2024 11:09:59 GMT -6
Isn't it normal for a PG to take a few years to come into their own in the league? I think the expectations for him this year is going to be a big let down for a lot of people. It's what I've been concerned with all along. Who's the last rookie guard that played winning or efficient basketball? I'm surprised how little pushback there's been to the practicality of Dillingham for THIS season as the backup to Conley. It seems like everyone celebrated the creative way he was acquired and just assumed that has to mean he's got the goods from the jump. I realize the draft position creates the expectation that he's got to play right away, but it glosses over the reality. Tyrese Maxey is an example of a young guard who played in a backup role for a good team in recent history. He wasn't that good as a rookie -3.2 EPM. He's not a perfect comp for Dillingham, but it's one of the few times where a good young guard played for a contender as a rookie. Maybe there are other examples I'm missing?
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Post by quinn on Jul 17, 2024 11:58:23 GMT -6
Isn't it normal for a PG to take a few years to come into their own in the league? I think the expectations for him this year is going to be a big let down for a lot of people. It's what I've been concerned with all along. Who's the last rookie guard that played winning or efficient basketball? I'm surprised how little pushback there's been to the practicality of Dillingham for THIS season as the backup to Conley. It seems like everyone celebrated the creative way he was acquired and just assumed that has to mean he's got the goods from the jump. I realize the draft position creates the expectation that he's got to play right away, but it glosses over the reality. Tyrese Maxey is an example of a young guard who played in a backup role for a good team in recent history. He wasn't that good as a rookie -3.2 EPM. He's not a perfect comp for Dillingham, but it's one of the few times where a good young guard played for a contender as a rookie. Maybe there are other examples I'm missing? I'll echo you in putting my antenna up on Dillingham's shooting. I don't know if I'm concerned yet but I'm conscious of it. He does have more of a track record of good shooting than bad and so at this point all we can lean on is the history. Granted, it's lesser competition, but it's there nonetheless. I don't want to give him an excuse but I think there's a few factors at play. I know he said he was dealing with a foot injury through the pre-draft process and he's still healing from that. The rookie's schedule between ending the season at college and getting to SL is hectic too. There's really not a ton of time to recover and work on your game between the draft process, media, draft, etc. I think he's being asked to focus on other areas as well like playmaking. I think he's probably overthinking things too. He's said he's thinking a lot out there. My guess is that he's a very cerebral player. You can see it in how he read the defense in college getting to his shot and hitting rolling bigs. He has the brains for the game. But I think between all that I mentioned above, he's got a lot on his mind, and shooting being such a confidence and mental part of the game, being in your head can throw it off some. Look at Culver. An extreme example, but he just couldn't get out of his own head and had the yips. Do I think Rob is Jarrett Culver? Absolutely not. But I do think that his head is probably spinning a bit right now given his new transition and elevated level of competition. Playing against bigger guys when you're only 165 lbs is probably a massive step up. I have faith in Rob, but I'd be lying if I said I haven't been somewhat disappointed in his shooting numbers.
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Post by quinn on Jul 17, 2024 11:59:29 GMT -6
A big plus for me.
Terrance Shannon was a +16 in 29 mins despite only taking 5 shots and getting to the line once.
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Post by BIG BAD WOLF on Jul 17, 2024 23:30:45 GMT -6
I think Dilly would benefit if he were brought along as an off the ball shooter who learns to be a PG on the job. This might be his quickest way to becoming a rotation player within this season. Likely, NAW will always be on the court when Dilly gets in, splitting the ball handling duties against the opposing second tier guards… If he is just handed the backup PG role on day one, we’ll just have flashbacks of coach after coach trying stubbornly to turn Zack Lavigne into a PG when all he was good at was catch and dunk… ZL was a very hard worker, taller and stronger specimen than Dilly, and he still set a few +\- “records” in his rookie year that might still be standing to this day! This version of MIN cannot waste a year of opportunity because of this… that is why a while back I mentioned trading Dilly for T Jones.
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Post by kingsxman on Jul 18, 2024 7:43:46 GMT -6
Dillingham is shooting 27% through 3 summer league games. Lots of people saying that the shooting isn't a concern. Obviously 3 games of SL doesn't mean a guy can't shoot for their entire career. I do think that the Wolves should be reevaluating whether or not having him as the de facto backup PG to 37 yo for THIS season is wise. What if it takes Dilly a year to acclimate to the NBA as a shooter/finisher? While the playmaking was better than expected and the D did pickup in these SL games, we can't have a PG shooting 30% from the field. Especially a guy who offers limited defense at best. If this is the level of shooting we're going to get from Dilly, the Wolves currently don't have a backup PG. www.si.com/nba/timberwolves/minnesota-timberwolves-news/john-wall-is-rob-dillingham-s-mentor-could-he-fit-with-timberwolves-01j2vdz08r5kInteresting. I have no idea what Wall is like in the locker room. Injuries have always been his bugaboo. But when he's NOT injured (which is seldom), he was a hellova player. Vet minimum I'd definitely consider him, but I'd want to know what the other options are first.
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Post by levine on Jul 18, 2024 9:24:55 GMT -6
I think Dilly would benefit if he were brought along as an off the ball shooter who learns to be a PG on the job. This might be his quickest way to becoming a rotation player within this season. Likely, NAW will always be on the court when Dilly gets in, splitting the ball handling duties against the opposing second tier guards… If he is just handed the backup PG role on day one, we’ll just have flashbacks of coach after coach trying stubbornly to turn Zack Lavigne into a PG when all he was good at was catch and dunk… ZL was a very hard worker, taller and stronger specimen than Dilly, and he still set a few +\- “records” in his rookie year that might still be standing to this day! This version of MIN cannot waste a year of opportunity because of this… that is why a while back I mentioned trading Dilly for T Jones. So have him stop doing what he's been doing so well in SL and focus on where he's struggled? I still can't wrap my head around the Zach LaVine comparison. Dillingham: 6.6 APG/40, 29.7 AST%, 13.5 TO%, 30.3 USG. Zac LaVine: 2.9 APG/40, 12.6 AST%, 11.6 TO%, 20.1 USG.
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Post by XRaySpecs on Jul 18, 2024 15:20:23 GMT -6
Wolves play again late tonight. I haven't seen anything on it, but I'm guessing that the players we'd care about don't play. The Wolves technically have a chance to advance to the 4 team playoff, but we'd need help as 5 teams are currently undefeated and 4 of them have big point differentials. We'd need to win by a lot to have a chance to leap one of the 4 teams that already have 4 wins with much better differentials. There are additionally multiple 2-1 teams with better differentials we'd have to pass. Basically, it's not happening. Lots of rostered guys haven't played at all and I'm sure there's an agreement that they at least get some playing time if teams aren't likely to make the playoffs?
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Post by XRaySpecs on Jul 18, 2024 22:24:43 GMT -6
Well...I was wrong. Wolves going with mostly the same guys in this first half.
Through 3.5 games how can you not be concerned with Dillingham? This "he's a bucket" stuff sounds so dumb right now because he's curently the opposite of a bucket. His finishes are just not even close unless he's got a clear path. He appears to have poor touch which if true is really concerning for a tiny guard. He had some good passes, but the shooting aspect just isn't there.
I know it's an overreaction, but there are quite a few bust flags flying with him.
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Post by Nick K on Jul 18, 2024 22:53:55 GMT -6
Well...I was wrong. Wolves going with mostly the same guys in this first half. Through 3.5 games how can you not be concerned with Dillingham? This "he's a bucket" stuff sounds so dumb right now because he's curently the opposite of a bucket. His finishes are just not even close unless he's got a clear path. He appears to have poor touch which if true is really concerning for a tiny guard. He had some good passes, but the shooting aspect just isn't there. I know it's an overreaction, but there are quite a few bust flags flying with him. It is an over-reaction. He's our 8th overall pick. Guys can improve you know. I have no concerns at this point. Give me two years and I'll know a lot more. So will we all.
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Post by XRaySpecs on Jul 19, 2024 6:03:00 GMT -6
Well...I was wrong. Wolves going with mostly the same guys in this first half. Through 3.5 games how can you not be concerned with Dillingham? This "he's a bucket" stuff sounds so dumb right now because he's curently the opposite of a bucket. His finishes are just not even close unless he's got a clear path. He appears to have poor touch which if true is really concerning for a tiny guard. He had some good passes, but the shooting aspect just isn't there. I know it's an overreaction, but there are quite a few bust flags flying with him. It is an over-reaction. He's our 8th overall pick. Guys can improve you know. I have no concerns at this point. Give me two years and I'll know a lot more. So will we all. Why are only negative observations over reactions? If he were lighting it up we'd all be heaping on the praise. I can't help that he looks tiny and frail out there. He needs 20 lbs of muscle on a frame that doesn't look it is built for it. He lacks touch around the rim and finishing was not good in college either. His shooting motion is erratic and looks like hes so weak he's heaving it. He didn't make shots in any of the games and frankly was missing pretty badly sometimes. I'd love to be wrong.
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Post by tmirvin on Jul 19, 2024 7:03:25 GMT -6
Summer league games are chaotic, glorified AAU runs. Rob is being asked to run the team and is the unofficial #1 scoring option. Once he's on the big league team, he's going to be asked to be a complimentary scorer. I can see the skepticism, but it's only SL. Plenty of guys have crushed summer league only to never be heard from again and plenty of guys have been terrible, but have gone on and had a decent career.
My guess is the front office is comfortable with Nix as the backup PG to start camp if they can't swing another deal before the season starts.
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Post by quinn on Jul 19, 2024 7:12:24 GMT -6
Summer league games are chaotic, glorified AAU runs. Rob is being asked to run the team and is the unofficial #1 scoring option. Once he's on the big league team, he's going to be asked to be a complimentary scorer. I can see the skepticism, but it's only SL. Plenty of guys have crushed summer league only to never be heard from again and plenty of guys have been terrible, but have gone on and had a decent career. My guess is the front office is comfortable with Nix as the backup PG to start camp if they can't swing another deal before the season starts. I think the bolded and underlined is what is at the heart of Xray's concern though. This should be easier competition than he's going to face at the next level. I mean aside from his playmaking, which is better than expected, he really hasn't been good. Windhorst was saying on a recent Hoop Collective that in all the Summer Leagues he's covered, if a player has success in the SL, it doesn't always translate to success in the NBA, but if a player struggles in SL, it more often than not has been a sign of not being good in the NBA. I have hope, but am not encouraged by Rob's SL.
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Post by cory on Jul 19, 2024 8:58:18 GMT -6
It is an over-reaction. He's our 8th overall pick. Guys can improve you know. I have no concerns at this point. Give me two years and I'll know a lot more. So will we all. Why are only negative observations over reactions? If he were lighting it up we'd all be heaping on the praise. I can't help that he looks tiny and frail out there. He needs 20 lbs of muscle on a frame that doesn't look it is built for it. He lacks touch around the rim and finishing was not good in college either. His shooting motion is erratic and looks like hes so weak he's heaving it. He didn't make shots in any of the games and frankly was missing pretty badly sometimes. I'd love to be wrong. Seems like you are taking the small sample size of summer league and extrapolating while not taking into account the large sample size of his college play last year. There are reasons to be concerned and all of those were mentioned about his draft profile, size, defense etc. I'm just not concerned about his shotmaking at this point given his success throughout his career against peers. A lot of guys struggle in summer league. Trae Young was brutal as a small guard. It may take some time. I'm not so sure about your statement of him not being a good finisher in college either. He was a high level shot maker at every level. The big concern in the NBA is around his ability to finish through contact. I agree that his size is a detriment for us this year as we try to be a title team. He probably needs to have a bigger guard with him at all times. But this just isn't something I'm concerned with long term. Guys in the 90's like Iverson still got away with not lifting weights and he's an exception to most rules anyway but that's not the culture anymore. If Dillingham is still only 170 lbs 3-4 years from now, I'll be very surprised. By all accounts he's going to put in work to get bigger and if Steph can add bulk, I think Rob can as well. Steph was one of the slightest of frame guys to ever come in as a big-time prospect and that was the biggest knock on him. www.nba.com/news/atlanta-hawks-trae-young-too-quick-judge-young-prospect - Within this article they have Curry's summer league numbers, 32% shooting, 34% from 3.
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Post by XRaySpecs on Jul 19, 2024 9:42:29 GMT -6
Why are only negative observations over reactions? If he were lighting it up we'd all be heaping on the praise. I can't help that he looks tiny and frail out there. He needs 20 lbs of muscle on a frame that doesn't look it is built for it. He lacks touch around the rim and finishing was not good in college either. His shooting motion is erratic and looks like hes so weak he's heaving it. He didn't make shots in any of the games and frankly was missing pretty badly sometimes. I'd love to be wrong. Seems like you are taking the small sample size of summer league and extrapolating while not taking into account the large sample size of his college play last year. There are reasons to be concerned and all of those were mentioned about his draft profile, size, defense etc. I'm just not concerned about his shotmaking at this point given his success throughout his career against peers. A lot of guys struggle in summer league. Trae Young was brutal as a small guard. It may take some time. I'm not so sure about your statement of him not being a good finisher in college either. He was a high level shot maker at every level. The big concern in the NBA is around his ability to finish through contact. I agree that his size is a detriment for us this year as we try to be a title team. He probably needs to have a bigger guard with him at all times. But this just isn't something I'm concerned with long term. Guys in the 90's like Iverson still got away with not lifting weights and he's an exception to most rules anyway but that's not the culture anymore. If Dillingham is still only 170 lbs 3-4 years from now, I'll be very surprised. By all accounts he's going to put in work to get bigger and if Steph can add bulk, I think Rob can as well. Steph was one of the slightest of frame guys to ever come in as a big-time prospect and that was the biggest knock on him. www.nba.com/news/atlanta-hawks-trae-young-too-quick-judge-young-prospect - Within this article they have Curry's summer league numbers, 32% shooting, 34% from 3. From Vecenie's draft guide: A lot of these concerns look to be playing out in SL. His form isn't ideal and the shots aren't going in. It sounds like he wasn't a great shooter prior to KY which lends some doubt to the question of him being a known good shooter. There are way more "good" shooters in college who don't pan out as pros than do. The part about finishing at the rim in particular seems correct. Dilly's finishing is creative, but it doesn't look effective and it wasn't really effective in college either. I'm not writing off Dillingham's entire career. I just have a real concern with THIS season. The Wolves have 1 year before finances are going to force major changes and Gobert and especially Conley aren't getting younger. We need to win now and there were concerns that a tiny rookie PG could help do that before watching him brick shots in SL.
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Post by BIG BAD WOLF on Jul 19, 2024 9:58:29 GMT -6
I think Dilly would benefit if he were brought along as an off the ball shooter who learns to be a PG on the job. This might be his quickest way to becoming a rotation player within this season. Likely, NAW will always be on the court when Dilly gets in, splitting the ball handling duties against the opposing second tier guards… If he is just handed the backup PG role on day one, we’ll just have flashbacks of coach after coach trying stubbornly to turn Zack Lavigne into a PG when all he was good at was catch and dunk… ZL was a very hard worker, taller and stronger specimen than Dilly, and he still set a few +\- “records” in his rookie year that might still be standing to this day! This version of MIN cannot waste a year of opportunity because of this… that is why a while back I mentioned trading Dilly for T Jones. So have him stop doing what he's been doing so well in SL and focus on where he's struggled? I still can't wrap my head around the Zach LaVine comparison. Dillingham: 6.6 APG/40, 29.7 AST%, 13.5 TO%, 30.3 USG. Zac LaVine: 2.9 APG/40, 12.6 AST%, 11.6 TO%, 20.1 USG. Yes, he passes it well in SL, but 80% of these guys he plays against either never played a minute in the NBA, or will never be more than end of the bench players under the big lights. So, a linear interpolation of the SL results into the regular season is what gave us Skita in the past… and will probably yield the same result (grave disappointment) in most other cases. This is not to say the youngster will be a bust. But the current trends seem to indicate his learning curve will be longer than MIN’s window of opportunity at a title. Consider this: however creaky the competition is in the SL, it is still the toughest competition Dilly ever faced on the court. So, you ratchet up the pressure a bit between college vs. SL and his shooting (which still is his most marketable skill) caves in. What do you think will happen the first year when he plays against big boys who already made NBA rosters and need to hang on onto their rotation spot? My money is on his shooting stays where it is right now (if MIN are lucky), and his playmaking takes a nose dive… one day I hope he will become the guy who every homer thinks he is right now, but by then KAT is gone, Gobert is injured and/or untradeable, and most of the supporting cast of today is chasing titles or contracts somewhere else…
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Post by levine on Jul 19, 2024 10:18:52 GMT -6
So have him stop doing what he's been doing so well in SL and focus on where he's struggled? I still can't wrap my head around the Zach LaVine comparison. Dillingham: 6.6 APG/40, 29.7 AST%, 13.5 TO%, 30.3 USG. Zac LaVine: 2.9 APG/40, 12.6 AST%, 11.6 TO%, 20.1 USG. Yes, he passes it well in SL, but 80% of these guys he plays against either never played a minute in the NBA, or will never be more than end of the bench players under the big lights. So, a linear interpolation of the SL results into the regular season is what gave us Skita in the past… and will probably yield the same result (grave disappointment) in most other cases. This is not to say the youngster will be a bust. But the current trends seem to indicate his learning curve will be longer than MIN’s window of opportunity at a title. Consider this: however creaky the competition is in the SL, it is still the toughest competition Dilly ever faced on the court. So, you ratchet up the pressure a bit between college vs. SL and his shooting (which still is his most marketable skill) caves in. What do you think will happen the first year when he plays against big boys who already made NBA rosters and need to hang on onto their rotation spot? My money is on his shooting stays where it is right now (if MIN are lucky), and his playmaking takes a nose dive… one day I hope he will become the guy who every homer thinks he is right now, but by then KAT is gone, Gobert is injured and/or untradeable, and most of the supporting cast of today is chasing titles or contracts somewhere else… You realize those are their college freshman numbers, not Summer League, right?
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Post by tmirvin on Jul 19, 2024 14:09:29 GMT -6
Summer league games are chaotic, glorified AAU runs. Rob is being asked to run the team and is the unofficial #1 scoring option. Once he's on the big league team, he's going to be asked to be a complimentary scorer. I can see the skepticism, but it's only SL. Plenty of guys have crushed summer league only to never be heard from again and plenty of guys have been terrible, but have gone on and had a decent career. My guess is the front office is comfortable with Nix as the backup PG to start camp if they can't swing another deal before the season starts. I think the bolded and underlined is what is at the heart of Xray's concern though. This should be easier competition than he's going to face at the next level. I mean aside from his playmaking, which is better than expected, he really hasn't been good. Windhorst was saying on a recent Hoop Collective that in all the Summer Leagues he's covered, if a player has success in the SL, it doesn't always translate to success in the NBA, but if a player struggles in SL, it more often than not has been a sign of not being good in the NBA. I have hope, but am not encouraged by Rob's SL. Sure, but my point is he's being asked to play a different role than he has in the past while playing against better competition than he has in the past with players he's never played with before. So basically, relax. Most guys take years to acclimate to the NBA, this was a pick for down the road - remember ant hasn't turned 23 yet. Yes, x-ray is freaking out because he thinks he was drafted as the backup PG with the expectation that he'd be good this year. Basketball isn't defined by positions anymore. Why does dilly have to be a back up PG? What does a PG even do anymore? What does Conley do? He runs the pick and roll and rarely goes all the way to the cup and hits spot up jumpers. I'm not worried about back up PG minutes. Ant handles the ball the entire time he's in the game. Finally, everyone raves about how smart Connelly is and how he finds all these gems out of nowhere. I'm willing to give him a longer leash than a couple weeks in the middle of the summer in Vegas. Dillingham hasn't even been to camp yet.
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Post by BIG BAD WOLF on Jul 19, 2024 15:27:11 GMT -6
Yes, he passes it well in SL, but 80% of these guys he plays against either never played a minute in the NBA, or will never be more than end of the bench players under the big lights. So, a linear interpolation of the SL results into the regular season is what gave us Skita in the past… and will probably yield the same result (grave disappointment) in most other cases. This is not to say the youngster will be a bust. But the current trends seem to indicate his learning curve will be longer than MIN’s window of opportunity at a title. Consider this: however creaky the competition is in the SL, it is still the toughest competition Dilly ever faced on the court. So, you ratchet up the pressure a bit between college vs. SL and his shooting (which still is his most marketable skill) caves in. What do you think will happen the first year when he plays against big boys who already made NBA rosters and need to hang on onto their rotation spot? My money is on his shooting stays where it is right now (if MIN are lucky), and his playmaking takes a nose dive… one day I hope he will become the guy who every homer thinks he is right now, but by then KAT is gone, Gobert is injured and/or untradeable, and most of the supporting cast of today is chasing titles or contracts somewhere else… You realize those are their college freshman numbers, not Summer League, right? I did not address the numbers at all. I used ZL as just another example of a different square peg MIN tried to jam into the PG hole in the past. Of course the college numbers are different. They were drafted at completely different stages of the draft. #8 vs #16, #8 should have the edge every time… however, ZL had game ready qualities RD does not have at the same level: height, strength, speed… even so, the transition to playing in the big league at the PG position was less than smooth the first year… and the year after…
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Post by XRaySpecs on Jul 19, 2024 15:39:33 GMT -6
Sure, but my point is he's being asked to play a different role than he has in the past while playing against better competition than he has in the past with players he's never played with before. So basically, relax. Most guys take years to acclimate to the NBA, this was a pick for down the road - remember ant hasn't turned 23 yet. Yes, x-ray is freaking out because he thinks he was drafted as the backup PG with the expectation that he'd be good this year. I'm going by what Connelly himself has said. He literally said he's the backup PG for next year. Basketball isn't defined by positions anymore. Why does dilly have to be a back up PG? What does a PG even do anymore? What does Conley do? He runs the pick and roll and rarely goes all the way to the cup and hits spot up jumpers. I'm not worried about back up PG minutes. Ant handles the ball the entire time he's in the game. How many times last year was it discussed about how the offense bogs down in aimless possessions? Leading up to the trade deadline, the supposed needs of the team were backup PG, movement shooter, and bucket getter. Connelly himself decided that the #1 need was a backup PG in making the deal for Morris. That aspect of offense is important on a team with so many high TO players. How many times was our mediocre offense discussed last year? One of the big reasons it was 19th was TOs and we project to be significantly worse with TOs next replacing Morris/JMac with Dilly and Kyle with Ingles. Yes, the NBA has become more positionless, but that's because players are able to fill multiple roles. Playmaking and organization are 2 of those skills and the team lost a lot of those skills this offseason with who went out the door. Dilly doesn't have to be the "backup PG", but he's been pumped by Connelly as a guy who will play. I don't care what position he's listed at. If he's this level of shooter, he's unplayable. Finally, everyone raves about how smart Connelly is and how he finds all these gems out of nowhere. I'm willing to give him a longer leash than a couple weeks in the middle of the summer in Vegas. Dillingham hasn't even been to camp yet. Connelly certainly is a good executive, but he's not perfect. He's had a lot to do with our current level of team though so again, I'm not out on Rob's career after a SL. Just questioning the process for this upcoming season. I understand giving him a longer leash, but I'm wondering what your reaction will be if the Wolves go through a 20 game stretch where Conley's out with a groin strain, we can't stop turning the ball over and Dilly is shooting 30% from 3 while getting hunted on D? With both our outbound PGs gone for just the minimum, it seems like a situation that could be avoided prospectively. Another question...what do you think of Connelly's quotes/intentions as far as a rookie lotto PG in general for this year? If you were in charge, would you have looked at our window and decided that we should count on a rookie guard given the history of contributions from similarly drafted rookies?
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Post by levine on Jul 19, 2024 15:41:30 GMT -6
You realize those are their college freshman numbers, not Summer League, right? I did not address the numbers at all. I used ZL as just another example of a different square peg MIN tried to jam into the PG hole in the past. Of course the college numbers are different. They were drafted at completely different stages of the draft. #8 vs #16, #8 should have the edge every time… however, ZL had game ready qualities RD does not have at the same level: height, strength, speed… even so, the transition to playing in the big league at the PG position was less than smooth the first year… and the year after… Except RD is a PG. He compares favorably to star PGs in college. We can leave Zach out of this and compare him to the other "PG" from his team that was drafted #3: Dillingham: 6.6 APG/40, 29.7 AST%, 13.5 TO%, 30.3 USG. R.Sheppard: 6.2 APG/40, 24.1 AST%, 18.3 TO%, 18.0 USG. Actually, if you compare him to all the other PGs from this draft, he's closer to Tyler Kolek in "PG stuff" than the #3 guy is to Rob.
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Post by XRaySpecs on Jul 19, 2024 15:45:59 GMT -6
I did not address the numbers at all. I used ZL as just another example of a different square peg MIN tried to jam into the PG hole in the past. Of course the college numbers are different. They were drafted at completely different stages of the draft. #8 vs #16, #8 should have the edge every time… however, ZL had game ready qualities RD does not have at the same level: height, strength, speed… even so, the transition to playing in the big league at the PG position was less than smooth the first year… and the year after… Except RD is a PG. He compares favorably to star PGs in college. We can leave Zach out of this and compare him to the other "PG" from his team that was drafted #3: Dillingham: 6.6 APG/40, 29.7 AST%, 13.5 TO%, 30.3 USG. R.Sheppard: 6.2 APG/40, 24.1 AST%, 18.3 TO%, 18.0 USG. Actually, if you compare him to all the other PGs from this draft, he's closer to Tyler Kolek in "PG stuff" than the #3 guy is to Rob. Yep. As concerned as I am with Dilly overall, he's looked really good doing the PG stuff. He had a couple of really nice passes in this last game. I think he'll be just fine running the team if he can make shots. He's not going to have the low TO #s of Morris or JMac, but the way he's potentially more helpful would be as actual PG who can do the dynamic scoring too.
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