Possible downside for 8 prospects mocked to Spurs

Reed Sheppard and Rob Dillingham

Two undersized point guards demanding Spurs attention

It's no coincidence that the San Antonio Spurs have been linked to Darius Garland, Trae Young, and Dejounte Murray. They desperately need point guard help. They very well could address that via trade, but it's far more likely that they use one of their lottery picks to pick their future point guard.

In one of his last acts as the head coach of Kentucky basketball, John Calapari sent another pair of dynamic point guards to the NBA. Both Reed Sheppard and Rob Dillingham have had Spurs fans' attention for months now, and for good reason.

A growing playmaker and determined defender, Sheppard's calling card in the NBA is likely going to be his three-point shooting. As one of the worst three-point shooting teams in the NBA last season, it's easy to see why the Spurs would be interested.

The shiftier of the two, Dillingham projects to be an offensive-minded combo guard similar to Lou Williams, Malik Monk, or Brandon Knight. Like Sheppard, he can light you up from deep. He's also plainly unafraid of attacking the rim and has a variety of floaters and layups he can use to maneuver his shot over, around, or under defenders.

The thing is, they're both pretty small by NBA point guard standards. Dillingham is just 6'1, weighing 175 lbs and Sheppard isn't much bigger at 6'2, 182. They both try on defense, but going toe-to-toe with Luka Doncic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Ja Morant on a night-to-night basis is a leap up from playing Vanderbilt.

Being on the smaller end of the NBA spectrum doesn't mean Sheppard and Dillingham will automatically be bad defenders. But they will be targeted early and often throughout their careers. With an already small backcourt, is that something San Antonio wants to go through? The answer could determine if the Spurs pick either with one of their lottery picks.