2024 NBA Draft: Rob Dillingham’s Case As The Top Point Guard Prospect

Kentucky has a strong history of developing and getting guards to not only make the NBA, but make an impact for many years in the NBA. Is Rob Dillingham next up?

The Kentucky Wildcats have been one of the most exciting college teams to watch in the entire country this season. With their new and improved offensive system and talented players on the team to make that system work, it has allowed certain players to show off their complete arsenal. 

One prospect who has been flying up draft boards is their lead guard Rob Dillingham. He’s one of the most skilled guards in this draft but does he have an argument as the best point guard in this draft? 

Let’s dive into the case for Dillingham.

The 6-foot-2 lead guard was a consensus five-star recruit coming out of college. Per 247 Sports he was ranked 16th in the nation and third amongst all point guards on their composite rankings. Dillingham played his final season in high school in the Overtime Elite League on the Cold Hearts, where he showcased his electric scoring and off-the-charts shot-making ability. Originally he was committed to North Carolina State but decommitted in March of 2022 and then in the summer of 2022 he committed to the Kentucky Wildcats.

This season, Dillingham is the second leading scorer on the Wildcats as he averages 14.5 points per game. He’s also second in assists as he averages four assists per contest. He has played 16 games this year to this point and is still averaging just under two turnovers per game while shooting 40.6% from behind the arc. The five-star point guard has really been on an offensive tear this season and it doesn’t look like he will slow down anytime soon.

It’s starting to become consensus that Dillingham is a top ten prospect in the draft, but what skills does he bring to the table that could separate him from other point guards in this year’s draft? 

For starters, he undeniably has the best combination of quickness, speed and shiftiness. He has the ball on a string and can get by defenders with ease in the half-court. His ability to create space is extremely impressive.

The playmaking chops and especially decision-making have been far better than anticipated. Dillingham has great court vision and passing creativity as he does a really good job of locating the open teammate and delivering a great pass to get that teammate the ball. His impact in the half-court is so valuable that he changes the course of the game on the offensive end.

Dillingham is an elite shot-maker and shooter as he’s comfortable shooting from anywhere on the floor, whether off-balanced or five feet behind the 3-point line. The talented guard can put up points in a hurry and when he’s hot, it’s unlike any other prospect in the draft as it feels like no matter what you do, there’s just nothing you can do to stop him. Dillingham gives shades of Cavaliers point guard, Darius Garland.

This will be an interesting debate up until the night of the draft, as Dillingham will be competing with other lead guards like USC’s Isaiah Collier and Nikola Topic, who are both currently injured. The injuries to the other two lead guards could allow Dillingham to catch up and even pass these guys on draft boards if he continues to put up great numbers and play at a high level. Don't sleep on Dillingham’s star potential just because he lacks size. He has the skills to make up for it. 

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