Meet Timberwolves rookie Rob Dillingham, Kentucky’s elite scorer ready to shine in the pros

His scoring and playmaking could translate very well to the next level.

Editor’s Note: This story was originally published June 12, 2024.

Kentucky Wildcats star Rob Dillingham is a crafty guard whose scoring and playmaking could translate very well to the next level in the pros.

Dillingham is widely considered one of the top players at his position in this class. After averaging 15.2 points with 3.9 assists per game while shooting 44.4 percent on 3-pointers as a freshman, the SEC named him Sixth Man of the Year.

Although he is celebrated for his incredible ball-handling and his ability to score off the dribble, during a recent interview with For The Win, the guard said there is plenty more to know about his game.

“I would say an all-around playmaker player who can get my teammates involved and really just do whatever the team needs to win,” Dillingham said. “I feel like if it involves scoring a ball, I can score the ball. If it involves passing the ball, I can pass the ball.”

Dillingham, who has represented Team USA in the FIBA U-16 Americas Championship and played for Donda Academy as well as Overtime Elite, has already had a long journey in his young basketball career.

Through it all, he has kept the same attitude that has gotten him this far.

“I’m just a funny dude. I always joke around with my friends,” Dillingham added. “I can’t help but joke. I laugh all day. I just be in the gym for sure. Outside of basketball, I feel like I try to make people happy because you never know what people go through.”

This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.

Watch Episode 3 of Prospect Park, a video series featuring future NBA players brought to you by USA TODAY Sports and For The Win:

What should NBA teams know about you?

I’m an all-around dude. I want to see everybody win. I feel like that’s a boost to my thing because if I want to see everybody win, everything feels good for people that want positive things. I feel like I can help my teammates and it gives confidence to my teammates and it makes my teammates like me, so just knowing I can be a leader and also a player that gets guys together.

Is ball-handling your best skill?

I really don’t feel like ball-handling is my best. I feel like change of pace makes my ball-handling looks a little better because I know how to change speeds. But I feel like reading the game is my advantage because I feel like a lot of people don’t really see because I’m moving so fast. I feel like I can really read the game. I see everything that happens on the floor. I know where people are. I know basketball.

How will your shot-making off the dribble help you?

I think honestly it would be a big help for me because getting past your first defender, if you can score with the ball, they have to guard you. If they have to guard the shot, getting past them isn’t really the hard thing about it. So once you’re past them, the defense has to help and once the defense helps, it’s based on what reads you’re going to make. Sometimes, getting to the second thing is just helping me get to the reads. Once I get to the reads, it’s up to me to make the right decisions.

How would you have helped teams in the playoffs?

Really, depending on the role I’m playing. But if I’m in a point guard role, coming off screens is easy because you’ve got to switch it. If you don’t switch, it’s a play where I’m ahead and I have an advantage. If I’m at the two, I feel like I can knock down shots at all times. I have to space the floor and they can’t help as much. Either position, I feel like I can do both and help any team.

How can you help teams defensively?

I feel like I can be a pest at all times. I can always be on the ball and really just knowing the game plan. When I know the game plan, I can do it and if I don’t do it, that’s on me. I’m going to rise to the occasion. Whatever the coach needs me to do to play defense, I can do it. If I don’t do it, you can take me out. I don’t have a problem. I want to get better in that role and I feel like I can, honestly. 

What have you learned on your basketball journey?

Really, it’s just keeping the main thing the main thing: Understanding that it’s going to be so many distractions and so many things that come to you and if you keep basketball the main thing and you really love it with everything you want and that’s what you want, it’s always going to work out for you because that’s your main goal. As long as you put that as your main goal and you don’t have other distractions, God is going to guide your path. That’s how I look at it. 

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