Rob Dillingham Is A Flashy Player Trying To Master the Mundane

Daishen Nix has taken it upon himself to be a Summer League mentor for Rob Dillingham. When I asked him what he needed to do in Summer League, Nix had a simple answer: “Just getting everyone better, especially Rob.”

After Dillingham’s Summer League debut in an 81-74 win over the New Orleans Pelicans, I decided to check back in with Nix to get his perspective on how the rookie did. “I think he did great,” Nix responded. “I know a lot of people didn’t think he did good, but I think he did great.”

Dillingham finished 2 of 12 from the field for four points. However, he had five assists and five rebounds while not committing a turnover in 26 minutes. Dillingham was known as a scorer at Kentucky, so the poor shooting night was out of character, but he showed the playmaking and defensive upside that justified Nix saying he had a great game.

Before Summer League started, Dillingham told me the coaching staff wanted him to “play defense and play make, and play through the system but also be me.” That’s a lot for a rookie to process in his first game; however, his defense and playmaking stood out.

Dillingham notched five assists in the win, most coming in transition. He had a beautiful feed to Terrance Shannon Jr. after tipping the ball to himself, as seen below. Dillingham also had the presence of mind to leave the ball for the trailing Shannon instead of forcing a pass ahead to the covered Minott.

Earlier in the game, Dillingham penetrated and drew help from the defender in the corner before rifling a pass to Shannon for a corner three, as seen below. Dillingham again chose the easy pass and the assist rather than attacking and forcing a shot, like many guards do in Summer League.

Dillingham also hit Nix for an open three, found Nix for a second three, and passed back for Jaylen Clark on a fast break for a dunk. He played within the offense, which could be the most impressive thing about his performance and a credit to Nix’s mentorship. Dillingham often set the team up and ran the initial pick-and-roll or drove off the dribble only to pass to an open teammate or someone on the cut.

However, Dillingham’s defense was the most surprising part of his debut. His five rebounds were the third-highest on the Wolves, and he was credited with a steal. Guards often find defending to be difficult in Summer League, mainly due to the lack of defensive size behind them and guard-dominant play. However, the Wolves ran their standard high-level defense, incorporating their drop schemes and switching ability on pick-and-rolls. Dillingham held up well in both instances.

When playing the drop, Dillingham did an excellent job of bumping into the screen and sticking with it long enough to prevent a pass to the rolling big before scampering back to his matchup. Admittedly, we have to see if he can do this in the NBA when significantly bigger players are screening him. But in Summer League, he held up well in how he hit the screen and got back to his man before he could make a step back or fading jump shot.

Dillingham seemed more comfortable in the switch. He can apply pressure on the ball. After switching or scrambling, he appears to have a good feel for passing lanes, which resulted in some good tipped passes. The fact that Dillingham continued the strong defensive play throughout the entire game, even as his shots weren’t falling in the second half, is a testament to his willingness to do what is needed to win.

Finally, this leads to his shooting performance. Dillingham went 2 for 12 while going 0 for 5 from three, which isn’t a good debut for one of the better shot-creators in the draft. Encouragingly, he could get to his spots at will, and the shiftiness he dribbles with keeps defenders noticeably off balance. With the Wolves getting the win and the focus from the coaching staff on his “defense and playmaking,” per Dillingham, we can overlook his shooting struggles due to the positive play and intensity he brought defensively.

Summer League head coach Chris Hines had similar praise: “I do love that he had five assists, I do love that his defense was incredible… he has a bright future.”

With Nix and Hines mentoring him in Summer League, Dillingham is in good hands to develop. Dillingham should continue to improve. If he can take care of the ball and play defense, he may be able to take over in the twilight of Mike Conley’s career.