In the concourse of Target Center, Rob Dillingham and Terrence Shannon Jr. pulled on their Timberwolves jerseys for the first time.
Like students on school picture day, they waited for the photographer's instructions to spin basketballs as they took photos in front of a gray backdrop. And, like first-year students, Dillingham and Shannon will have to be quick studies. The pair of 2024 first-round draft picks spent Wednesday's introductory news conference discussing the reality of being brought in to fill gaps on a championship-hungry team.
"The Timberwolves are one of the best teams in the NBA, so I wouldn't think I would go to a contender right off rip," said Dillingham, a 19-year-old guard from Kentucky who was the eighth overall pick last week.