Regretfully, Rob Dillingham’s 2024 NBA lottery pick has been declined due to his performance at the Chicago Combine.
Rob Dillingham’s ability to score at the NBA level is almost certain. He made 44.4% of his three-pointers as a freshman at Kentucky, and he was able to get to the rim with ease thanks to his quick first step. In John Calipari’s final season in Lexington, Dillingham played a significant role in both the Wildcats’ outstanding offense and their 340th-ranked scoring defense.
Scouts discovered why Dillingham failed to hold up on that end at the SEC and the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago. The native of Hickory, North Carolina, stood six feet one inch tall and weighed 164 pounds. Simply put, the league is short on players that have achieved that level of success. Even the 6-foot-2, 200-pound Jalen Brunson, who recently led the Knicks to the second round of the NBA playoffs, is not that tall.
Dillingham, who was considered an option for the Atlanta Hawks at No. 1 overall, will still be regarded for his enormous offensive potential because the 2024 NBA Draft may be the worst since 2013, when Anthony Bennett was selected by the Cleveland Cavaliers with the first overall pick. His physical limitations, however, will restrict his potential as a lead-initiator who can finish games with his ability to make shots to a third or fourth guard off the bench who can manage the offense in spurts to mitigate his shortcomings on the other end.
With a 6-foot-3 frame and a weight of 165 pounds, Isaiah Joe of the Oklahoma City Thunder is now the smallest player in the NBA, four pounds less than 6-foot-2 Bones Hyland of the Los Angeles Clippers. Despite his small stature of 6 feet and 175 pounds, Mike Conley of the Minnesota Timberwolves has played on some of the best defense teams in the NBA during his career. He first joined Tony Allen and Marc Gasol in Memphis and is currently a member of the Wolves, who are led by four-time Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert.
Dillingham could miss out on the lottery, but a team will still take a chance on him in the first round due to his potential for big scoring.
