Kentucky duo named 'best of' NBA draft picks at specific skills

The Kentucky basketball program once again heads into the NBA Draft with prospects expected to land in the top-10.

The Wildcats are expected to watch guards Rob Dillingham and Reed Sheppard hear their names called early on in next month's NBA Draft, adding to the handful of first-round and lottery picks in recent years.

Currently, Reed Sheppard is expected to be off the board before Dillingham, who has a much larger range to fall in.

A reason for their high draft grades are their skillsets. Both players were named the 'best of' all potential NBA draft picks at specific skills heading into the draft. Neither should be a surprise.

Dillingham was named the best ball-handler in the 2024 class.

"Dillingham's jittery handle, burst and explosive change of gear makes it difficult for opponents to stay in front of him," ESPN Draft Insider Jonathan Givony wrote. "He has a wide array of elusive moves at his disposal, 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."

Dillingham has always been one of those 'highlight play' type of guards with his ability to handle the ball and break down defenders. His tight handle and shiftiness with the ball in his hands is a real tool that should allow him to excel in the open space the NBA provides.

As for his backcourt running mate, Sheppard was named the best spot-up shooter -- to no surprise.

Sheppard shot 52.1 percent from three in his lone season at Kentucky.

"Sheppard gave defenses headaches at Kentucky with absurdly consistent shot-making prowess, hitting 56 of his 109 catch-and-shoot attempts (per Synergy) and shooting 51.4% on the season from long range," ESPN NBA Draft analyst Jeremy Woo wrote. "His release is compact and consistent, with minimal dip and wasted motion, and his lower-body balance and shot-prep habits are excellent, giving him a high-level skill that should translate to NBA range.

"His ability to space the floor away from the ball simplifies his path into a role quite a bit, with his ceiling tied to how much he can expand his game as a handler. But there's a very legitimate shooting profile here that could also see him become more of an off-ball threat if needed."

Currently, Sheppard is ranked 4th overall on ESPN's Big Board while Dillingham is 7th.

There's no question this pair of Kentucky guards are extremely talented. But most importantly, they bring very specific skillsets to the next level that will be a major help to any NBA team, and make them a need for every team.

The first round of the 2024 NBA Draft is set for June 26 at 8:00 pm ET.