The Minnesota Timberwolves have a rising talent with Rob Dillingham, and he is being taught by an elite veteran like Mike Conley Jr.
Mike Conley Jr. Is Influencing Rob Dillingham's Superb Future originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
Rob Dillingham is set for a massive 2025-26 season, as the Minnesota Timberwolves are trusting him to become a vital player in the system. Everyone knows that he is the heir apparent for the team's point guard position, as he is primed to take over from longtime veteran Mike Conley Jr.
Thankfully, Dillingham is in good hands, as he is learning from Conley every day. With the upcoming season, the lessons he has learned under Conley should be key to his performance.
As the eighth overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, it was puzzling that Dillingham did not receive regular minutes for the Timberwolves. He is a supremely talented guard with potential as a scorer and playmaker.
Unfortunately, that did not bear fruit in many minutes under coach Chris Finch in the 2024-25 season. However, Dillingham will be playing more minutes, and he will learn from his mentors.
Related: Rob Dillingham Addresses ‘Chance’ With Timberwolves for Playing Time
Dillingham Sees Conley As A Vital Part Of His Career
During his rookie season, Dillingham might not have received the minutes he wanted, but he gained valuable experience. Playing behind Conley is crucial to his development, as he is seeing what it takes to be a high-level NBA point guard.
Most of the time, people see Dillingham as a scoring guard or a spark plug. He wants to be a complete point guard, and who better to learn from than Conley? The 2025-26 season will be crucial for Dillingham, as he has the opportunity to apply all the lessons he learned.
"Very important, just watching him even when I wasn't playing, I watched him do everything, like how he set up at the beginning of the game," Dillingham said after a practice for Summer League. "How he set players up, when he gets his shots. It meant a lot for sure, just to be able to see Mike do that."
Rob Dillingham on Finch and Connelly saying he will have an opportunity to be in the rotation next year
— Andrew Dukowitz (@adukeMN) July 6, 2025
“It’s a blessing honestly, there really is nothing else to say about it, we can’t really talk about it. It’s for me to show that I deserve the chance they’re giving me so…… pic.twitter.com/S6hlz2dJrR
Dillingham Is In Good Hands With His Mentors
Conley is not the only mentor Dillingham has within the Timberwolves organization. He also has a former NBA point guard and current Timberwolves assistant coach, Pablo Prigioni.
As a fantastic playmaker during his playing career, Prigioni has a lot to teach Dillingham. The former Kentucky Wildcat is learning well from two elite basketball minds, as he will want to implement that when he plays.
Rob Dillingham
— Hoop Herald (@TheHoopHerald) July 6, 2025
As we have said. He needs a real chance to show what he can do
He’s not just an NBA guard, he’s a GOOD NBA guard
pic.twitter.com/Caml2bGjfA
"Very important because Pablo always coach me up, like he speaks positive," Dillingham said about Prigioni's impact. "Even when I do little things he shows me how I can get better at it. He doesn’t really put me in a box, Pablo always helps me, tells me the things that keep pushing me. Working with means a lot too."
With all the mentors he has within the Timberwolves team, expectations are being met. He is on the right path to grow and deliver on his potential, and is part of the Timberwolves' best young prospects.
Related: Timberwolves' Chris Finch Reveals Offseason Plans for Guard Rob Dillingham
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 7, 2025, where it first appeared.
Category: Basketball
