The Chicago Bulls are struggling as of late, as they have not won a game since Jan. 31. Newcomer Rob Dillingham can’t seem to be a consistent piece off the bench for head coach Billy Donovan.
During their loss against the New York Knicks, the Bulls’ ninth straight defeat, Dillingham only scored eight points. He also got four rebounds, four assists and two steals in 24 minutes of game time. He had a few good moments during the game but ultimately failed to help the Bulls snap their losing streak.
Despite that, he might have more playing time in the next few games. Guards Josh Giddey and Tre Jones are still on minutes restrictions as they just came back from injuries.
Chicago Bulls coach keeps it real with Rob Dillingham
The Bulls welcomed a total of seven players during a busy NBA trade deadline. As for Dillingham, the move to Chicago serves as a breath of fresh air. The former eighth overall pick of the 2024 NBA Draft played sparingly for the Minnesota Timberwolves. In 35 games for the Wolves this year, he has averaged only 3.5 points in just 9.3 minutes per game.
After his move to Chicago, Dillingham already played an average of 19.3 minutes per game. He also already improved his scoring to 7.8 points per game while shooting 43% from the field. Despite that, Donovan has still called out the second-year point guard.
“He’s going to have to learn that what gets you here doesn’t keep you here, and what gets you here doesn’t necessarily take you to a next step,” Donovan said after Sunday’s the loss to the Knicks. “As the talent gap shrinks, you have to make adjustments and changes.
“He’s so explosive and so fast with the ball [that] probably for most of his career, no one could keep him in front. He probably got to the rim whenever he wanted to, and he could use his athleticism to go finish. Now, all of a sudden, he can’t do that all the time.”
Donovan still believes Dillingham can improve into a great player, considering his athletic prowess.
“There’s balance where you don’t want to take away a guy’s aggressiveness by yanking him,” Donovan continued. “He’s really gifted and talented and has great speed. This is going to be the evolution for him as a player, because with his size [he’s listed at 6-2], there are certain things he can’t do at the basket.
“What he can do is make everyone else around him better, and that’s what we have to work with him on without taking away the aggressiveness.”
Dillingham still has plenty of time to prove he is worthy of being in the NBA.
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