Jordan Prather-USA TODAY Sports
(Kentucky: Guard, Freshman, 6-2)
Overall rank: 6 / Previous rank: 25 (+19) / Best rank: 3 / Worst rank: NR
Rob Dillingham has vaulted up mock draft boards on his way to SEC All-Freshman honors at Kentucky as an efficient scorer who can make plays for his teammates.
Despite being small, Dillingham contorts his body well for acrobatic finishes around the rim, including splitting between two defenders to make circus shots twice against LSU in late February. To create his shot against bigger defenders on the perimeter, Dillingham utilizes a step-back dribble.
Looking ahead, the SEC Sixth Man of the Year may have a similar role in the NBA, according to NBA executives who spoke with HoopsHype.
“I think he’s a scorer off the bench,” another executive told HoopsHype. “I don’t think in the biggest of games he can be your starting point guard. He can make high pick-and-roll shots off a high ball screen. That’s important in this day and age. You’ve got to be able to make those shots. He plays with a lot of speed. He can make passes. I think he’s got to slow down a little bit, but there’s plenty to like offensively. Defensively, he can’t guard anyone. He doesn’t really try, so you can’t play any switching defense with him. You’re going to run into the same situation you have with Trae Young, and I’m not sure he’s as talented as Trae.”
Dillingham has shot a blistering 44.5 percent from beyond the arc and has shown a willingness as a playmaker to get others involved (3.8 assists per game). However, as noted above, Dillingham’s defensive liabilities could cap his playing time at the next level against bigger point guards who are stronger.
“I see a guy coming off the bench who moves the scoreboard for a team,” a longtime NBA executive told HoopsHype. “He’s not a true point guard. He’s a scoring guard. At his size, he’ll be considered a point guard because that’s who he’ll have to guard, but is he going to help facilitate for others? He’s going to come off the bench, change the pace of the game and score the ball. You’d hope that he outscores the guy he’s guarding.”
Dillingham will hope to follow in the footsteps of recent Kentucky guards who’ve made an NBA impact such as Tyrese Maxey and Immanuel Quickley.
