Dalton Knecht: It was a ‘blessing in disguise’ falling to Lakers

Dalton Knecht: It was a ‘blessing in disguise’ falling to Lakers

Former Tennessee guard Dalton Knecht , the reigning SEC Player of the Year and consensus All-American, was a consensus top-10 prospect heading into the 2024 NBA Draft, according to the NBA Draft Network , Rookie Scale and NBA Mock Draft Network consensus big boards. In his draft profile, Karl projected him to be a top-10 pick, which almost felt like a worst-case scenario given his shooting prowess and off-ball movement.

That ultimately wasn’t the case, as Knecht fell to the Los Angeles Lakers No. 17 overall. During his media day availability, Knecht stated it was a “blessing in disguise” that he fell to Los Angeles, head coached by former NBA veteran sharpshooter JJ Redick .

“I get to learn from one of the greatest basketball players to ever play in [ LeBron James ] and also have [ Anthony Davis ] down there,” Knecht said. “It’s been good. I think it’s really a blessing I get to be a part of this and watch greatness.”

When he was on The Lowe Post –ironically enough, Zach Lowe’s last podcast before being laid off by ESPN–Redick pinpointed Knecht in the “top one percent” of shooters. He averaged a nation-most 21.7 points on 45.8 percent shooting and 39.7 percent from 3-point range on 6.5 3-point attempts per game last year; in SEC play, he posted a staggering 25.5 points on 42.4 percent from distance (7.3 3PA). He’s a marksman.

Though he wasn’t just a great 3-point shooter–he showed the capability of attacking closeouts and was sneaky athletic around the rim finishing through contact.

Given Redick’s pedigree as a pro and his demand on shooting more long-range shots, it’s difficult to foresee him not having a couple of tricks up his sleeve to set up Knecht when he’s on the floor. He’s got the skillset to contribute right away and provide the necessary spacing the team needs surrounding LeBron James and Anthony Davis . It could be a blessing in disguise … for both parties, when it’s all said and done.

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