Rob Dillingham 2024 NBA Draft Profile
We are less than two weeks away from the 2024 NBA Draft. Today, we are continuing our draft profile series with Kentucky guard Rob Dillingham, who was arguably the best sixth man in the entire country. What are we waiting for? Without further ado, let’s jump right into it!
Height: 6’1″ (6’3″ wingspan, 7’11″ standing reach)
Weight: 164.2
Draft age: 19.5
Position: Guard
Dillingham was a part of Kanye West’s Donda Academy, a private school, but had to leave the academy early after the school announced it would shut down for a year amid West’s controversial comments. He was one of the top-ranked high school prospects in California at the time.
He eventually signed with Overtime Elite, where he played for just one season without affecting his college eligibility. He was still regarded as a top-25 player in the 2023 recruiting class, which featured Jared McCain, Stephon Castle, Cody Williams and Ja’Kobe Walter, according to 247sports.
In his only season at Kentucky, he averaged 15.2 points, 2.9 rebounds and 3.9 assists on 47.5 percent shooting and 59.5 percent true shooting, where he played alongside other 2024 draftees that included Reed Sheppard, Justin Edwards and Antonio Reeves.
Let’s dive into some of his strengths and weaknesses, shall we?
Strengths:
Dillingham was one of Kentucky’s most reliable on-ball creators this season. Though the skill that really sticks out to me is his ball-handling. It felt like he always had the rock on a string and used an array of crossovers, between-the-leg hesitations, stepbacks and other frenetic combinations to get defenders off-balance.
Dillingham is lightning-fast with the ball in his hands too. Thus, his creativity and quick burst were a nightmarish combination for on-ball defenders. The guard could pull up from well beyond 3-point range, but also was effective off the catch and had a good blend of stop-start burst to pull-up inside the arc if need be.
There were times when Dillingham played bigger than he was when he was attacking the lane, finishing through contact–albeit mostly with his strong hand. He shot 56.8 percent at the rim, which isn’t a great percentage. Though considering his 6-foot-1, 165-pound frame, you could do much worse. He shot 43.3 on mid-range attempts and was a 44.4 3-point shooter, per Barttorvik, showing capable three-level scoring punch despite being undersized.
I thought he made the right plays as a connector on the perimeter. Whether he was in the pick-and-roll or making the extra pass, his passes were accurate. He’s more of a combo guard, but had a steady dose of good playmaking and connectivity that made his future prospects even more intriguing.
Dillingham could get buckets as well as any player in this class. He exuded confidence and was never fazed in the moment, especially if he entered with cold feet when he was in foul trouble.
Weaknesses:
Well, his size doesn’t help him any.
Dillingham wasn’t disciplined defensively, averaging 3.4 fouls per 30 minutes and 4.6 per 75 possessions. Those have to be lower. He may just be a volume bench scorer at the next level, but his physical limitations are going to put a bullseye on his chest. He’s going to get hunted. Thus, he’s going to have to figure out how to hold his own while staying out of foul trouble.
Dillingham’s defense at Kentucky–relative to projecting what his defense could look like against NBA guards–was a real concern if we’re comparing him to other guard prospects in this class. He competed at certain points, but I felt underwhelmed by the results more often than I would’ve liked to. The screen navigation was poor and the closeouts weren’t crisp. That’s troubling.
I also want to see how diverse his shot profile becomes at the next level. Will he be able to finish over NBA-caliber centers? How much does he rely on his floater and in-between game? How much will be relied upon to create as a secondary creator? All those questions are the ones I have.
Projection: Top-10 pick
Rob Dillingham has elite burst, is very creative with his handle and is very ignitable as a scorer. He can leverage all those skill sets into being a legit playmaker, even though I see him more as a combo guard than I do an actual point guard. He’s got a very strong offensive skillset, and we’ve seen players of his size carve out successful careers with his type of size and skillset.
I just hope for the sake of him and the team he gets drafted by, that they have a formidable back-line to make up for any of his defensive shortcomings.
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