Boogie Fland, a projected first-round pick in the 2025 NBA Draft (No. 20 on our latest Aggregate Mock Draft), is quickly making a name for himself as a freshman under John Calipari in his first year coaching Arkansas after leaving Kentucky. Standing …
Boogie Fland, a projected first-round pick in the 2025 NBA Draft (No. 20 on our latest Aggregate Mock Draft), is quickly making a name for himself as a freshman under John Calipari in his first year coaching Arkansas after leaving Kentucky.
Standing at about 6-foot-2 and weighing just under 180 pounds, Fland will draw comparisons to a former Calipari-coached guard Rob Dillingham, the 8th overall pick in last year’s draft, or a little-known guard drafted out of Vanderbilt named Darius Garland.
Known for his shooting touch, poise, playmaking and his ability to thrive both on-ball and off-ball, Fland is already showcasing his potential as a future NBA guard.
Following a clutch performance against Miami, Fland spoke with HoopsHype and reflected on the start of his true freshman season, his ability to close games, his playstyle, playing in high-intensity situations early in the year and more.
ESPN analysts discussed the NBA Summer League and some former Wildcats were mentioned.
Kentucky basketball had 11 former players performing in the 2024 NBA Summer League, including all three who were drafted this year. With the action winding down in Las Vegas, several ESPN analysts discussed some of what they saw.
Reed Sheppard was heavily praised by the group. Tim Bontemps called him the biggest surprise of the Summer League, saying:
From the start of summer league, Reed Sheppard looked the part. I was high on Sheppard’s potential during the draft process, and he showed with his play in Las Vegas why the Rockets should be very excited about his future in Houston — where he could be a perfect fit alongside Amen Thompson as a long-term backcourt tandem. If it weren’t for the crowded Houston roster and rotation, he would be my clear pick for Rookie of the Year.
When asked which rookie would have the biggest impact on their team, they were nearly unanimous in saying Sheppard.
On the other end, Jeremy Woo mentioned Rob Dillingham as a disappointment. He said:
Timberwolves No. 8 pick Rob Dillingham struggled a bit with efficiency. He looked uncomfortable at times, which could be a result of the on-court inactivity due to injury seen in his pre-draft process. With his lack of physical strength at this stage, he doesn’t have a lot of margin for error.
Big Blue Nation had plenty of players to root for over the past few weeks, with some old favorites getting playing time. Next up, the regular season, and seeing how the Summer League performances translate.
Rob Dillingham dropped 25 points and 12 assists for Minnesota in his Summer League finale on Sunday.
Former Kentucky Wildcats guard Rob Dillingham’s up-and-down Summer League performance finished on a high note Sunday when the No. 8 overall pick tallied 25 points and 12 assists in Minnesota’s 115-100 win over Orlando.
Dillingham shot 11-18 from the field and 3-7 from three in the contest, also grabbing three rebounds and a pair of steals. It was far and away the rookie guard’s best Summer League performance, highlighting his exceptional scoring and facilitating ability to close out his time in Las Vegas.
Dillingham finished Summer League averaging 13.6 points on 36% shooting from the field and 30.8% from beyond the arc. His 7.6 assists per game led the entire league, with former Marquette guard Tyler Kolek coming in second at 7.0.
The 6’3 guard was among the best players in all of college basketball last year, despite coming off the bench for John Calipari in Lexington.
His outside shooting and passing skills intrigued NBA scouts, although concern about his size and defensive impact lingered and led to him falling toward the back half of the top ten where he was snagged by the Timberwolves – where he can develop as a microwave scorer off the bench behind Mike Conley and Anthony Edwards.
Performances like Sunday may not come around too often in the NBA, but it shouldn’t be a huge surprise when they do – he’s more than capable of lighting it up when he gets going.
NBA veteran Draymond Green had good things to say about Rob Dillingham.
The NBA draft has come and gone and both Reed Sheppard and Rob Dillingham parlayed their time at Kentucky into being top ten picks. Both have the qualities that could make them stars as professionals. At least one NBA star thinks Dillingham, in particular, will be great.
Draymond Green has played for the Golden State Warriors for 12 seasons, and has won four NBA championships. He is also not afraid to say what’s on his mind, and had some things to say about Dillingham being picked eighth by the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Who won the draft to me was the Minnesota Timberwolves. The reason the Minnesota Timberwolves won the draft is that they drafted their point guard of the future, Rob Dillingham, who I think is a very special player.
He added:
There’s going to be some teams that regret passing Rob Dillingham.
Time will tell just how good Rob Dillingham is in the NBA, but there is no doubting his talent with the basketball. He is fearless, and is immediately one of the NBA’s quickest players. His ability to create in a number of ways will serve him well, and his potential is through the roof. Draymond Green thinks the Timberwolves got a star.
Now they have turned draft assets into..draft assets?
After the San Antonio Spurs excited their fan base by taking champion University of Connecticut combo guard Stephon Castle with the No. 4 overall pick of the 2024 NBA draft, those same fans heard league Commissioner Adam Silver call out an unexpected name.
That name would be of University of Kentucky point guard Rob Dillingham, a player connected to the Spurs but making much less sense after San Antonio’s selection of Castle earlier in the draft. Mercifully, it turned out that the Spurs were dealing Dillingham to the Minnesota Timberwolves for future draft assets the team may use to pick up an established played when the moment is right.
The folks behind the “SSPN: A San Antonio Spurs Podcast” YouTube channel reacted to the decision to trade away the No. 8 pick’s return to the T-Wolves on a recent show.
Take a look at the clip embedded above to hear what they had to say.
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.
However, in a twist, the Spurs are sending Dillingham to the Minnesota Timberwolves for draft assets.
The San Antonio Spurs have made their second pick of the 2024 NBA draft, following up their No. 4 pick of University of Connecticut guard Stephon Castle. With their No. 8 overall pick of the draft, San Antonio has selected University of Kentucky guard Rob Dillingham.
However, in a twist, the Spurs are sending Dillingham to the Minnesota Timberwolves for a 2031 unprotected first round pick and a 2030 pick swap (top 1 protected) to the Spurs for Dillingham. It remains unclear whether San Antonio will use some of those draft assets to land a player via trade in the near-term future, but it seems likely that San Antonio will be looking to use at least some draft assets to add to the team this summer.
The Spurs still have a pair of second round picks to use when that section of the draft kicks off tomorrow on Thursday (June 26) afternoon at Nos. 35 and 48 as well.
Rob Dillingham was drafted with the number eight pick and traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
There were some who thought that Rob Dillingham could suffer a draft night fall due to size concerns and questions about his defense. However, with the eighth overall pick, the San Antonio Spurs drafted him, and then traded him to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Dillingham is was one of the most exciting players in all of college basketball last season. His quickness got him to the basket where he made impossible shots, and his ability to get hot from three-point range made him a fan favorite.
Despite coming off the bench, Dillingham could score in bunches, and made a number of clutch shots for the Wildcats. He was also a very good passer once he got into the lane.
Now, Dillingham heads to Minnesota to play with a former Wildcat and number one pick Karl-Anthony Towns. Defense is a big question mark for Dillingham, but fans will love his speed and his swagger. Big Blue Nation wishes him good luck in the NBA.
Every year, there are players expected to hear his name called early in the draft but who fall lower than initially anticipated. One of the players in the 2024 NBA Draft who could deal with such a slide is Rob Dillingham.
While he was projected the No. 4 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft here on For The Win’s first consensus mock draft as recently as last month, the latest projections have him a bit lower.
Dillingham, who recently had a fantastic interview with For The Win, 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.
Dillingham was one of the smallest players at the 2024 NBA Draft Combine in Chicago, measuring at 6-foot-1 in socks with a 6-foot-3 wingspan. He was just 164.2 pounds, the smallest of anyone who tested.
Here are some of the latest reports about why Dillingham may drop a bit on draft night.
Ankle injury during pre-draft process
Jonathan Givony (via ESPN): “Dillingham conducted his first visits of the pre-draft process this past week with San Antonio, before moving on to Detroit and also meeting with Utah. An ankle injury he suffered prior to the NBA draft combine prevented him from conducting any competitive workouts for teams.”
Defensive struggles
Eastern Conference executive No. 2, to David Aldridge (via The Athletic): “You’re going to think I’m crazy, but Dillingham scares me. He’s an explosive scorer, and he’s tough. But he’s the worst defender. And he does not have a great feel as a point guard. Those kind of guys scare me. It may work out, but he’s a bad defensive player. He’s small and doesn’t defend. Look at Bones Hyland, who I like. Very good on offense. He struggled in Denver because he couldn’t defend. Gets to L.A. (with the Clippers), same thing. With NBA coaches, if you can’t defend, it’s hard to get on the floor. (Dillingham) is an elite scorer. I’ll give him that. And he’s tough as nails. It’s not that I hate him. But they’re talking about top 10. I wouldn’t do it.”
Scouts prefer bigger prospects
Jonathan Wasserman (via Bleacher Report): “He’s starting to sound like a candidate who could slide. The Detroit Pistons and Portland Trail Blazers seem unlikely to target him based on their current backcourts. The Charlotte Hornets could be an option, although they finished No. 29 in defense. League sources believe the San Antonio Spurs aren’t likely based on what they’re signaling to agents. We’re hearing teams prefer bigger positional prospects.”
At BetMGM, the over/under for Dillingham’s draft position was set at 11.5 and he was +110 to go in the top ten.
Kentucky Wildcats guard Rob Dillingham could become the point guard of the future alongside Victor Wembanyama on the San Antonio Spurs.
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.
In our latest 2024 NBA mock draft, we had Dillingham selected by the Chicago Bulls at No. 11 overall. But since then, the Bulls have traded for former Oklahoma City starter Josh Giddey and may no longer want a guard.
Meanwhile, in the latest mock draft from ESPN, analyst Jonathan Givony had Dillingham going a bit higher to join Wembanyama on the Spurs at No. 8 overall. Here is what Givony wrote:
“Dillingham conducted his first visits of the pre-draft process this past week with San Antonio, before moving on to Detroit and also meeting with Utah. An ankle injury he suffered prior to the NBA draft combine prevented him from conducting any competitive workouts for teams.
Dillingham’s dynamic ballhandling, playmaking and shot-making prowess could be a natural fit for the Spurs with the creativity he offers in the open court and the pick-and-roll. Pairing him with a veteran mentor guard such as Chris Paul — whom Dillingham has known from a young age, having played for his grassroots EYBL team (Team CP3) — could make sense should the Golden State Warriors elect to waive Paul’s non-guaranteed contract prior to their June 28 deadline.”
According to Givony, there are several other names to watch for the Spurs, too. That includes Matas Buzelis as well as Dalton Knecht, Cody Williams, Tidjane Salaun, and Nikola Topic.
Givony added that other teams that could consider Dillingham include the Jazz (No. 10 overall) and the Heat (No. 15 overall) as well as potential trade opportunities.
