The Steps to Success for Rob Dillingham

The Timberwolves’ rookie will have to take these steps to find success in Minnesota.

Jun 26, 2024; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Rob Dillingham arrives before the first round of the 2024 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images / Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Rob Dillingham’s selection was one of the more surprising picks of the 2024 NBA Draft. This isn’t because of his draft slot with the eighth overall pick, but because of the team that selected him. The Minnesota Timberwolves, fresh off a Western Conference Finals berth, traded up with the San Antonio Spurs to acquire the eighth overall pick and select the 19-year-old point guard out of Kentucky.

Dillingham’s selection signaled a foresightful outlook from the Timberwolves. While 36-year-old veteran point guard Mike Conley is still highly effective running the show for Minnesota, he’s steadily declining. Consequently, Minnesota’s front office took a chance on their potential point guard of the future in Dillingham. With his offensive firepower, the North Carolina native may be the franchise’s long-term backcourt partner next to budding superstar Anthony Edwards. 

As a freshman for Kentucky, Dillingham averaged 15.2 points, 2.9 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 1.0 steals in 32 appearances. He started just a single game, but he was productive and efficient on the offensive end, posting a 59.5 TS%. While he brings a flashy, highly-skilled repertoire to the NBA, Dillingham will have to fill in a lot of holes in his game to truly fulfill his potential as a quality starting point guard in the league. 

With incredible handles, a potent pull-up jumper, and soft touch, Dillingham already possesses a lot of the high-level skills to add meaningful creation value to an NBA squad. However, standing at just 6-foot-1 and weighing in at just 164 pounds, the small guard’s size poses a steep obstacle. To score effectively against the NBA’s stout paint protectors, he’ll have to innovate his own solutions over the course of the next few seasons.

Further, Dillingham will have to overcome his lack of size on the defensive end. He’ll be a target as a man-to-man defender, and not much of a factor off the ball to begin his career. While it’s a longshot he ever excels defensively, with some added strength and smarts, he can be passable on this end.

With these improvements, Dillingham has the potential to impose his will as one of the offensively skilled guards in the league one day.

---

Want to join the discussion? Like Draft Digest on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest NBA Draft news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.