Spurs Draft Profile: How Safe A Pick is Rob Dillingham?

Rob Dillingham is a one-and-done point guard ready for the NBA because of his high ceiling on offense, but unless his defense shows potential, his small frame might make selecting him a much more difficult decision than originally thought.

Kentucky's guard Rob Dillingham (0) celebrated making a bucket against Vanderbilt during the first half of an NCAA basketball game at Rupp Arena in Lexington, Ky., Wednesday, Mar. 6, 2024 / Scott Utterback/Courier Journal / USA

The NBA Draft is one week away, and the San Antonio Spurs are still treading the murky water of future-sight with caution.

If they go the draft route and pick correctly, they could find another star to fit around Victor Wembanyama and Devin Vassell, or at the very least, a starting caliber player that can grow into a core piece as every player on the roster gets more experienced.

If they pick wrong — which, arguably, has only happened three times in the last 12 picks — then there's a chance that reaching a level of contention might still be some seasons away. But they likely aren't thinking too heavily about that.

READ MORE: The Pros and Cons of UConn Guard Stephon Castle

Stephon Castle is one name that's been tossed around as of late when it comes to the Spurs' two top-10 picks, but another name that's received quite a lot of attention even before him is Kentucky freshman Rob Dillingham. He could certainly fill one of the biggest needs facing San Antonio, if he pans out the way teams are hoping.

Here's what you need to know:

Basic Information

Name: Robert Dillingham

Age: 19

Position: Point guard

Hometown: Hickory, North Carolina

School: University of Kentucky

Height: 6'3"

Weight: 164 lbs

Wingspan: 6'3"

Mar 15, 2024; Nashville, TN, USA; Kentucky Wildcats guard Rob Dillingham (0) celebrates after a 3-pointer during the second half against the Texas A&M Aggies at Bridgestone Arena. / Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

What Would Dillingham Bring to the Spurs?

In the simplest way possible, Dillingham is — in a perfect world — the point guard San Antonio has been searching for.

The long saga of finding a player to fill the one spot began with Jeremy Sochan as the Spurs tried to mold a power forward into a pass-first ball-handler, but after that was clearly not going to work, the attention shifted to Tre Jones.

Jones is still a very capable point guard, but he doesn't seem to be the starter of the future to play alongside Wembanyama — though he's certainly still an asset to the team. Dillingham, if the Spurs were to draft him, would be expected to play that role, and the good news for them is that he seems to not only understand that, but want it.

"That was the craziest first year in a long time," the Kentucky guard said of Wembanyama's rookie campaign. "He could be one of the best players ever. If I’m playing with Wemby, it’s obvious – I am coming in to give Wemby the ball.”

In college, Dillingham averaged 15.2 points and 3.9 assists per game on a 44 percent clip from 3-point range. He's a capable scorer with a passing mindset and certainly a player that the Spurs could mold into a true point guard, which he seems to already have experience being.

Something to Watch

Despite playing like the point guard San Antonio is likely envisioning, Dillingham doesn't quite meet the look of the point guard they'd want.

Weighing in at just 164 points and standing 6-foot-3 at his tallest, it's clear that the 19-year-old is undersized — smaller than even New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson.

Sure, players can find success with a small frame on offense — as Dillingham's shooting splits show — but the main concern with adding him comes on the defensive end. Dillingham lines up with some of the NBA's smallest players, but wasn't much of a standout on defense at Kentucky, which doesn't bode well for any team using their imagination to determine where he could fit on the court.

San Antonio already made clear that landing Atlanta Hawks star Trae Young wasn't atop its priority list, and the 25-year-old has the offensive prowess to allure any team looking for a point guard that can shoot at will — but not the defense.

So, unless the Spurs see Dillingham as an dangerous offensive threat with a much higher ceiling on defense, they might not be totally moved to select Dillingham with their No. 4 overall pick.

Seems picking him might not be as safe as originally thought.