It was a surprise when Dalton Knecht was still on the board in the 2024 NBA Draft at the 17th pick by the Los Angeles Lakers. The Lakers did not waste any time and selected him with that pick. Many NBA mock drafts had Knecht going in the top 10. It was a shock when he fell out of the top 10. The Philadelphia 76ers picked 16th and it felt like they were going to draft him because they needed a shooting guard, but they drafted Jared McCain from Duke instead.
Dalton Knecht won the SEC Player of the Year last season with the Tennessee Volunteers. Knecht helped lead them to the best record in the SEC. They were also the number two seed in the NCAA Tournament. The Volunteers made it to the Elite 8 last season before they lost to Zach Edey and the Purdue Boilermakers in the NCAA Tournament. In 36 games played last college basketball season, he averaged 21.7 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 1.8 APG, 0.6 BPG, and 0.7 SPG. He also shot 39.7% from three-point land, 77.2% from the free-throw line, and 45.8% from the field.
Knecht will have a chance to prove himself at the NBA level. It is going to be intriguing in what he will do during his rookie season. Will he start at the shooting guard position right away or will he have a different role with the Los Angeles Lakers? The Lakers also brought in J.J. Reddick as the new head coach after they fired Darvin Ham during the offseason after just coaching them for two seasons.
NBA Analyst Makes Prediction
Bleacher Report writer Jonathan Wasserman made predictions for each NBA first-round draft pick entering the 2024-2025 season. He thinks that he will have a bench role next season with the Lakers. Wasserman also said about Los Angeles Lakers guard Dalton Knecht:
“The Los Angeles Lakers’ depth and bench aren’t notable strengths. Coach JJ Reddick figures to call on Dalton Knecht for second-unit scoring and shotmaking right away.
“Being 23 years old surely had something to do with his draft-night slide to No. 17. The NBA-ready tag is a plus for the Lakers. He’s one of the class’ more polished offensive players with an adaptable offensive skill set. He should get some time playing off LeBron James and Anthony Davis with his spot-up and movement shooting and cutting. But he also has enough on-ball game to make things happen himself with more usage for the Lakers’ second unit.”
Lebron James, Anthony Davis, and Austin Reaves will be the top three scoring options on the Lakers roster this season. Knecht could be an x-factor for this basketball team as the season progresses. Dalton Knecht has a very similar game to when J.J. Reddick was playing in the NBA. With this year’s NBA Draft class being so unpredictable, he could have a chance to be a candidate for the Rookie of the Year award. Many scouts viewed this year’s NBA Draft class as weak.
Dalton Knecht was one of the best players in college basketball last season. Zach Edey won the National Player of the Year Award once again for the Purdue Boilermakers. Edey was the ninth overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft by the Memphis Grizzlies. Those two names were the biggest in college basketball last season. Both can make an immediate impact at the NBA level.
It would not be a surprise to see Knecht off the bench for the Lakers right away. However, it also would not be a surprise for him to be in the starting lineup at some point during the 2024-2025 season. The Los Angeles Lakers are looking to hang another banner in the rafters for a team that wants to win now.
For More Great Content
Check out all the great content Total Apex Sports has to offer. Check us out on X @TotalApexSports and our other sites: Total Apex Sports Bets and Total Apex Fantasy Sports.
