Film Room: Robert Dillingham

Welcome to the Big Blue Nation, Robert Dillingham. The 6’2″ guard from Donda Academy (CA) committed to the Kentucky Wildcats on Friday evening. Dillingham, ranked as the number three overall prospect in On3’s player rankings, chose the ‘Cats over Auburn, Louisville, and USC. The Charlotte, North Carolina native joins Reed Shepard as the second commitment in Kentucky’s 2023 recruiting class.

When breaking down Dillingham’s game the first trait that stands out is his dynamic playmaking ability. His playmaking ability has primarily been used for scoring purposes at Donda and on the EYBL Circuit with Team CP3. However, there have been flashes of court vision that lead you to believe he can be a true point guard at the next level.

There may be some concerns about his size, namely his skinny frame, but it hasn’t seemed to bother Dillingham at some of the highest levels of high school basketball. He is a great ball-handler, as shifty as anyone in the country, and can make tough shots off of the bounce. Dillingham will be the most dynamic guard head coach John Calipari has had in quite some time. After evaluating him in person at EYBL Session III in Louisville and breaking down a ton of film, there is no question that this 5-star guard will be one of the best in the country from the moment he steps on campus.

Let’s step inside the KSR Film Room and take a deeper look at what makes Kentucky’s newest recruit so special. We will break down his shot creation from both the perimeter and attacking the basket while also showcasing his underrated passing ability. Coach Cal and the ‘Cats got a good one in Robert Dillingham.

Perimeter Shot-Making Ability

The legacy of Kentucky point guards is well known. However, even the best Wildcat point guards that went on to be NBA lottery picks often weren’t outstanding shooters. Robert Dillingham likely won’t shoot 40% from three-point range like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander did on low volume or make the high volume of shots that Malik Monk or Kellen Grady did as off-ball guards. There will be some inefficiency and streakiness to his game because of the type of shots that he takes.

What gives hope to those evaluating Dillingham though is his shooting form and ability to create space off of the dribble. While he takes some high-difficulty shots, they are often more open than it appears because is so shifty and can get himself away from the defender.

During the season, when writing the KSR Scouting Reports, a big emphasis is always on whether you should go over or under the ballscreens. Robert Dillingham is a guy that defenses will need to go over against. In the above clip, once the defender goes under, there is simply too much space for him to play with. The most impressive part of this play is that Dillingham doesn’t rush once he realizes he is open. Before shooting he takes the time to set his feet, get on balance, and elevate.

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Dillingham does such a great job of reading the defense when playing off of the ballscreen. Due to his shiftiness and ball-handling ability, some have the tendency to label him as an out-of-control guard. That simply isn’t true. Dillingham plays with great pace and that is a big reason why he shoots so well off of the dribble.

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There won’t be a freshman in college basketball more advanced at playing off of a ballscreen than Robert Dillingham. Once again, the defense goes under and is forced to switch a bigger defender onto the ball. Dillingham shakes him up a bit and then elevates to knock in the three-pointer. He does a great job of getting vertical on his shot even when moving laterally.

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It is all about the pace of play when coming off of a ballscreen. Here you can really see Dillingham making his dribble move as he waits on the screen, explodes quickly to his left at the point of the screen, stutters to read the defense, then makes the right decision to elevate for an open three-pointer when his defender gets hung up. This will be a high percentage shot for him in Lexington.

Dillingham’s Driving Ability

After breaking down Robert Dillingham’s shot-making ability from the perimeter we will turn the focus to him attacking the basket. His quickness, ball handling, and pace which have already been discussed make him a great driver. While his size can be an issue when playing through contact and finishing at the rim he actually plays stronger than you would think.

The word “shifty” is thrown around a lot when evaluating Robert Dillingham, and for good reason. It is really the perfect adjective when describing his game. This is yet another example of his excellence when playing off of the ballscreen. The defense hard hedges the ballscreen which causes Dillingham to crossover from left-to-right, but then comes back downhill to his left as the defender retreats. At the end of his drives, he gets his shoulders past the defender to finish. This is a really high-level play.

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There are times when Dillingham can over-dribble and get himself in precarious situations. However, when he decides to turn on the jets and get downhill he does so with a purpose. In the above clip, he uses the quick left-handed, inside-out dribble as he comes off the screen to deceive the bigger help defender. At that point, he attacks towards the baseline and uses the wrong-footed finish to extend past the length to finish.

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Robert Dillingham simply has a knack for scoring the basketball. You can’t really coach the bucket-getting gene that he possesses. The clip above shows him playing off of the ball as he comes off of a screen on the perimeter. His defender is chasing over the top which has him on Dillingham’s hip on the catch. Feeling the defender high on his hip, Dillingham spins back right immediately getting into the paint and finishing with a tough floater. He is really good from the intermediate-range with floaters like this.

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This clip shows how Dillingham plays a much more physical brand of basketball than he gets credit for. When you just look at his stature he is long and thin. However, he plays strong with the ball as seen here, getting through contact off of the dribble and finishing around the secondary defender. The tight handle, change of direction, and finishing ability make him a really tough cover off of the dribble.

Court Vision & Passing Ability

The majority of scouts, rightfully so, spend their time praising Robert Dillingham’s scoring ability. He is a good shooter, an excellent creator, and has arguably the best handle in the class of 2023. However, there is more to his game than just getting buckets. What stood out as much as anything when breaking down his game, and watching him live at EYBL Session III in Louisville, was his sound decision-making. There is no reason to believe he can’t take the keys to the offense from day one in Lexington for Coach Calipari.

Dillingham is always thinking about scoring and no coach will ever want to take that away from him. However, he has shown flashes of being able to make the right read even when under duress. Here he’s stuck between the baseline and his defender with nowhere to go. Instead of throwing up an ill-advised shot he keeps his head up, reads the help defender, and hits a teammate at the front of the rim for a layup.

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Most point guards, especially ones that like making plays as much as Robert Dillingham, prefer running in transition. Whether it is leading the break or in the halfcourt he is always in attack mode. In the above clip, he shows his ability to remain under control and hit a teammate in stride for two points. There is nothing overly flashy about this highlight, but that is what makes Dillingham such a special prospect. Due to his scoring ability and ball-handling, his game gets labeled a certain way. However, when evaluating him, his decision-making really stood out as much as any other aspect of his game.