Projected top-three pick Rob Dillingham says he would defer to Victor Wembanyama: ”Coming in to give Wemby the ball”

When it comes to living up to immense expectations, Victor Wembanyama arrived in the league with the intent of proving that he rightfully deserves all of the hype surrounding him and more. Following his impressive rookie campaign, the projected No. 3 pick in this year's draft, Rob Dillingham, talked about having no issues in deferring to the star center if he was to be selected by the San Antonio Spurs.

During interviews for the 2024 NBA Draft Combine, Dillingham praised Victor Wembanyama's electric rookie year with the Spurs and already understood the assignment if he somehow landed in San Antonio — that team is his for years to come as their cornerstone.

The interview clip of Dillingham's comments was shared on X by San Antonio-Express News' Tom Orsborn.

"That was the craziest first year in a long time," Dillingham said. "He could be one of the best players ever. If I'm playing with Wemby, it's obvious — I am coming in to give Wemby the ball."

During his season playing for the Kentucky Wildcats, Rob Dillingham put up 15.2 points (47.5% shooting, including 44.4% from 3-point range) and 3.9 assists per game. Despite being a capable scorer at the guard position, his promising decision-making skills were also put on display at the collegiate level.

During his first season in the NBA, Wembanyama averaged 21.4 points (46.5% shooting, including 32.5% from 3-point range), 10.6 rebounds, 3.6 blocks and 3.9 assists per game.

His combination of impressive shotmaking and exceptional defensive versatility was a sight to behold, especially considering that he just finished his first year in the big leagues.

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Despite being the face of the San Antonio Spurs, Victor Wembanyama praises the franchise's focus on playing team-ball

Following his first Rookie of the Year win, Wembanyama commended the success of his personal award on his teammates and the San Antonio Spurs' dedication to building strong habits of trusting each one on the roster, as opposed to playing hero ball, as per The Associated Press' Raul Dominguez.

"What I know is that there is a difference between us, the Spurs," Wembanyama said, "the way we play and 90 percent of the teams in the league. I feel like we involve all players on the court. We have this will to share the ball, and I can see that the coaches have this will to keep developing that and not become an iso-ball team, for example."

Despite being one of the best young players in the league, Victor Wembanyama has already shown tremendous maturity with his willingness to play with a team-first mindset, whether or not he gets the personal recognition.

Regardless of Wembanyama's envisioned dominance in the league for years to come, the Spurs rookie will still need the rest of his teammates to continue improving alongside him if they hope to grow into one of the more competent teams in the NBA.

During the 2023-24 season, the San Antonio Spurs finished in 14th place (22-60) in the Western Conference standings with a .268 winning percentage.