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Freshman guard Rob Dillingham was a top 15 national recruit and considered one of the top offensive players in his recruiting class. However, in UK’s four games in Canada he averaged just 5.5 points and 3.5 assists per game while shooting a team-low 31 percent from the field. He was also eighth in minutes played.
However, Kentucky assistant coach Bruiser Flint noted that Dillingham took and missed some difficult shots which was not a surprise in his first collegiate action.
“One thing about small guys — because I was one myself — when you’re used to getting to the basket, you have to take what they’re giving you sometimes,” Flint said on the UK Radio Network.
“We’ve been telling him, ‘Hey, shoot the pull-up.’ It’s a little bit different — the size, the strength of the guys, they’re on him a little bit — but we’ve said, ‘If you’re open on the pull-up, shoot the pull-up.’ Because he shoots that. That’s probably his best shot.”
Flint said the coaches knew he was pressing a bit and offered advice to encourage him.
“We just told him, ‘Don’t worry about it. We know you’re missing a lot of shots. Don’t get frustrated,’” Flint said.
Dillingham did not get frustrated by his shooting or playing time in Toronto when UK went 4-0 and won the GLOBL Jam over Germany, Africa and Canada. Instead, he said the freedom coach John Calipari gives players makes it easier to play.
“It’s way easier because a lot of people don’t have a rope, so it’s like you play scared, and you’re scared of coming out of the game,” Dillingham said. “Playing with coach Cal, he gives you confidence to just play however you play, and whoever’s playing the best is going to play. So it’s definitely easy playing for him.”
6 Responses
Dillingham was the least efficient player that played significant minutes.
He logged about 8% of the available playing time while ending over 10% of all the team’s possessions, more "hoggish" than Sheppard, Thiero, Mitchell, or Burks.
He shot the ball 29 times, making only 9. Of those, 22 shots were 2 pointers, 8-22, and 7 were 3 pointers, 1-7.
From the line, he was 3-3, but 3 shot attempts in 4 games means his game is not getting him to the line, whether he tries the pull up as noted in this article, or tries to drive to the basket (apparently his default attack mode).
He had 14 assists against only 5 turnovers, nearly a 3:1 ratio.
If the coaches continue to encourage this player to shoot the ball rather than pass, these coaches are trying to make him into something that he has not demonstrated he can be.
Unless Dillingham is seeing the floor, distributing the ball to his teammates in position to score, he should be on the deep end of the bench.
At his size it is a natural adjustment and most probably will require him to evolve some as a player. 3:1 assist ratio should indicate that he certainly has the talent to grow as a smaller player. He will do well as the season progresses!
Way too early to be deciding PT for this team. Players can adjust. Heck I believe Reed didn’t make a shot his 1st game but the staff encouraged him to continue shooting, and we see how that worked out.
You are right about Reed UKFMLY
Yes, that is so, but in that first game, Reed also played remarkable defense and contributed in so many ways with rebounds, steals, blocks, assists, etc. that his game efficiency was high regardless of his shooting issues in that game. Reed finished the 4 games as one of the most efficient players on the teams.
Dillingham finished as the least efficient player on this team that got minutes.
As for playing time this season, that should be allocated based on what circumstances dictate, and part of that calculus should be an allocation designed (by coaches) to maximize team efficiency.
However, this coach does not have a great track record in this regard and has relegated highly efficient players to the bench while giving excessive playing time to favorites who may have an NBA future but do not play at high efficiency levels during their 1 year stint wearing a UK uniform.
You can’t judge a player just yet, The game at college is much different than the high school that they are accustom too. Some players catch on quick some don’t. Rob may need more time to adjust to the style. He will be fine in my opinion.
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