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Los Angeles Lakers Land Draft Night Steal

Posted on by Vaseline

The Lakers held on to their 17th pick and landed someone many consider a sample of the class of 2024. Tennessee Sharpshooter Dalton Knechtwho was widely believed to be among the top ten, miraculously fell to purple and gold outside the lottery on Wednesday.

Los Angeles Lakers Land Draft Night Steal

Background

Knecht’s breakout year with the Vols was the catalyst behind the “top-ten” conversations that preceded him. In 36 games, he averaged 21.7 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.8 assists on 46% shooting from the field, almost 40% from three and 77% from the free throw line. Knecht, whose career began at a junior college before the draft, has been praised for his offensive versatility.

General Manager Rob Pelinka addressed Knecht fits the team after selection:

“We never imagined that a player as skilled and perfect for our needs would be there for us as Dalton Knecht. We unanimously had him in the top ten of our scouting councils. I was at the SEC tournament scouting him extensively, and I thought, ‘There’s no way we can pick a player like this on draft night.’ Overall, (I) just couldn’t be happier. I was joking with Coach Redick upstairs that we found a motion shooter that suited his skills as a player. He was already at his whiteboard setting up pindowns, ATOs, and off-screen motion shooter moves. So I think his mind is already busy drawing up plays for Dalton.

Just really excited. The design is an unpredictable process. You never know how things will go when the night starts, and for it to end this way, we couldn’t be happier.

How Knecht fits in with the Lakers

One of LA’s biggest needs in this year’s draft was marksmen. Not only did they satisfy that last night, but they did so while filling a positional need on the wing. Knecht’s ability as a motion shooter holds a lot of promise for the Lakers. The rookie will join a system as head coach that strives to vastly improve from the center JJ Redick mentioned in his opening statement Monday.

Regardless of what moves the Lakers make the rest of this summer, there’s a chance Knecht starts his career in the team’s rotation. At 6-foot-1, Knecht’s three-level scoring and athleticism were key to his high depth. He also showed the ability to take over games when necessary, as exemplified by a career-high 40 stretch against Kentucky.

Now he gets a great opportunity to showcase his skills with a coach who emphasizes player development. Knecht’s skill set perfectly complements LeBron James and Anthony Davis, making him a perfect addition to LA’s frontcourt.

Despite Knecht’s positives on offense, there are several key areas where he needs to improve between now and October. The biggest concern is on defense, where his lack of lateral quickness can cause opponents to purposefully hunt him in matchups and pass him with ease. While the Lakers have a top-tier defenseman in Davis, it’s up to Knecht to hold his own so AD doesn’t have to make as many substitutions on the relief side. Additionally, the rookie needs to sharpen his basketball IQ. He averaged 1.8 assists and 1.7 turnovers per game last season.

The final word on Dalton Knecht and the Lakers

Overall, Knecht is a huge steal for the Lakers, who have plugged holes offensively while selecting someone who still has potential at 23 years old. The team will continue to fill key positions on the roster, but drafting Dalton Knecht was a step in the right direction.