Rob Dillingham is getting a second chance with Bulls but for how long?

Billy Donovan didn’t have time to sit down with Rob Dillingham for an hour-long dissertation on everything that went wrong for the guard in Minnesota.

It was obvious that the No. 8 overall pick in the 2024 draft had fallen out of favor in the eyes of Timberwolves coach Chris Finch, was traded to the Bulls in the deadline deal for Ayo Dosunmu, and was hoping for a fresh start.

He’s been given one, and then some, in the ultimate baptism under fire.

In his first three games with Donovan, he played 22 minutes in his debut against Denver, another 22 in Brooklyn, and then followed that up with 30 minutes of work in Boston.

This was a player that averaged 5.3 minutes per game in January when he did get off the bench and had only played one game in which he received 20 minutes of run the entire season up north.

In Dillingham’s eyes the Bulls didn’t just trade for him, they rescued him.

“Just two different styles of offenses, not as much holding the ball (with the Bulls),” Dillingham said of the differences between the two heads coaches. “Just like get off the ball and really like in Minnesota it was like every possession … I mean every possession matters here, but you’re going to mess up. Over there it was just like not everyone could mess up and keep playing, so just the opportunity and the pace of the game, just the playing styles.”

That’s maybe why Donovan has gone out of his way to bite his lip with Dillingham mistakes, making sure the kid’s confidence can be re-lit. There’s also the fact that Donovan definitely sees something special with the shifty ball-handler.

“He’s the one guy that off-the-dribble that can really get by people and get into the teeth of the defense,” Donovan said of the second-year player. “That’s like a real great positive. But the decision making, the shots he’s taking, are not sustainable, and I told him that.”

So while he does have a runway to make erroneous passes and bad decisions at times, it’s a short one.

Not only has Donovan wanted to give him playing time to restore his confidence, but it was also out of necessity with guards Josh Giddey and Tre Jones sidelined with hamstring issues. Both have been working out in three-on-three scrimmages, signaling a return was close.

What that means for Dillingham is get ready for a quicker hook when mistakes are made.

“His job and responsibility is to generate shots for guys when he gets (inside) and understand the shots where he has angles and can shoot a high percentage on and the shots he can’t,” Donovan said. “It’s not like I’m giving him free rein, we need him downhill, but he also can’t be jumping off two feet, getting caught in the air, trying to shoot over guys, trying to throw passes that aren’t there. He’s got to clean that up and we’ve got to help him do it.

“What I don’t want him to do is not be aggressive or be afraid to attack. He has to attack. He just has to make better decisions, and I think that will come in time.”

Which is all Dillingham has wanted since arriving to the NBA after his one season at Kentucky.

“(Last week) was my first time playing against the Celtics and actually having the ball in my hand,” Dillingham said. “If I play against the Celtics three, four more times, by the time I play them the fifth time I already played them so many times that I know how to play against them. It comes with experience, studying film, and taking that into the next game.”