2024 NBA Mock Draft: Rob Dillingham Offers Offensive Creation for Trail Blazers

The dynamic guard full of creativity could provide something highly beneficial for Portland if he falls in the Blazers' hands.

Mar 6, 2024; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Kentucky Wildcats guard Rob Dillingham (0) drives to the basket during the second half against the Vanderbilt Commodores at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-USA TODAY Sports / Jordan Prather-USA TODAY Sports

Out of Kentucky, Rob Dillingham has been a prospect to observe all season long as the Wildcats' second-leading scorer and second-best playmaker. With the 2024 NBA Draft coming up in late June, teams are in the thick of their search for their prime selection on draft night. For Dillingham, he could hear his name called as high as the upper half of the lottery, but could also fall outside of it if scouts can't get past a few concerns over the 6-foot-3, 176-pound guard.

One of those primary points of concern come on the defensive end of the ball, as Dillingham's slight, thin frame at his height could prove to be a liability when facing much bigger matchups and downhill forces. Switching will be a limiter for whoever chooses to take him, as teams would end up hunting that mismatch and attacking Dillingham's lack of physicality and strength.

Another issue some organizations may have in selecting him as high as the mid-lottery is his current status as a playmaker. His 3.9 assists per outing in his lone season at Kentucky suggests that the foundation is there, but he's surely a scoring-centric point guard. That doesn't mean his potential as an all-around creator is weak at all. Actually, his upside as a playmaker is one that's very bright when leveraged by his immense scoring gravity -- which will be respected as he makes his rounds in the NBA.

One team that could benefit from this immediate scoring boost and playmaking upside is the Portland Trail Blazers, who hold the No. 14 selection in the draft.

Coming in alongside sophomore Scoot Henderson and Anfernee Simons, Dillingham could provide a scoring element to lessen the offensive load -- which could allow Henderson to dial in his scoring and facilitating efficiency, something he'd had issues with throughout his rookie campaign. Dillingham's pairing with that backcourt as well as the frontcourt threats the Trail Blazers have in Deandre Ayton and Jerami Grant could allow for him to also flourish as a playmaker, hoping to elevate Portland out of the last spot in assists per game from a year ago.

Dillingham isn't a perfect point guard prospect at this point in time. But for a work in process like the Trail Blazers, Dillingham's skill set could be utilized and beneffited off of immediately, for both parties.

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