Last season’s Kentucky Wildcats possessed some of the nation’s top players, which made their first-round defeat to Oakland so upsetting, especially considering their dynamic offense that could beat anyone.
Still, the Cats will again send top talent to the NBA Draft, including Rob Dillingham and Reed Sheppard.
Sheppard might go No. 1 but is anticipated to go No. 3 or 4. The No. 6-12 range is projected for Dillingham. No one expects him to miss the lottery.
ESPN’s Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo analyzed the greatest basketball players entering the 2024 NBA Draft in numerous categories. The column included sections on top movement shooter and offensive rebounder.
Sheppard shot best and Dillingham handled best.
Opponents struggle to keep up with Dillingham’s twitchy handle, burst, and abrupt gear change. Givony wrote in his section on Dillingham, “He has a wide array of elusive moves, including herky-jerky crossovers, double crossovers, in-and-out dribbles, behind-the-back dribbles, and more, which he combines with sharp changes of speed, accelerating from slow to fast with either hand to take the paint and finish with touch around the rim
Woo took Sheppard’s part and said this.
At Kentucky, Sheppard hit 56 of his 109 catch-and-shoot attempts (per Synergy) and shot 51.4% from long range, giving defenses nightmares. His release is compact and steady, with minimal dip and wasted motion, and his lower-body balance and shot-prep habits are exceptional, giving him an NBA-ready skill, Woo said.
Both players have All-Star potential, and even in a weaker selection, they are comparable.
Consider how many teams wish they hadn’t passed on All-Star guard Tyrese Maxey, who slid to No. 21 in 2020. Dillingham has that ceiling, while Sheppard might be the draft’s top spot-up shooter and one of the NBA’s best as a rookie.
Recent title from The Worldwide Leader in Sports fuels high expectations for these two.
