With most NBA Draft specialists having Dalton Knecht slotted contained in the top-10, it appeared extremely unlikely he would nonetheless be on the board when the Los Angeles Lakers received on the clock with the seventeenth general decide. In actual fact, the Lakers reportedly tried to schedule a exercise with Knecht throughout the pre-draft course of however have been declined as his illustration felt he wouldn’t be accessible.
However the draft performed out in a method that benefitted the Lakers, with the gifted scorer falling to them at 17. And the query many had after Knecht’s fall down the draft lastly ended was why he fell within the first place.
In accordance with Jovan Buha of The Athletic, the 2 important causes Knecht slipped was on account of his age, in addition to defensive considerations on the NBA degree:
Knecht slipped within the draft due to age and defensive considerations, in line with league sources. At 23, Knecht is outdated for a first-round prospect, hypothetically limiting his long-term upside. That additionally theoretically places extra stress on him to contribute immediately, as there isn’t the identical grace interval in comparison with if he have been 19 or 20. The Lakers aren’t involved with Knecht’s age, although, as they imagine the chip he carries on his shoulder and his slipping within the draft will drive him to proceed to enhance.
Groups typically draft gamers primarily based on upside and potential, feeling that whereas they aren’t at a sure degree now, they’ll finally get to that time if developed correctly. As such, gamers like Knecht, who spent 5 years in faculty and is already 23 years outdated, can typically be missed in favor of different, youthful prospects.
Issues about Knecht’s protection are additionally legitimate as he isn’t an elite athlete and doesn’t have nice lateral motion, one thing that may be exploited even additional on the NBA degree. However that didn’t cease Knecht from being a consensus All-American at Tennessee final 12 months and his capturing and scoring are elite.
The Lakers by no means might have imagined Knecht nonetheless being on the board at 17 and though there are some considerations there, he was just too good to go up and his strengths ought to significantly outweigh his weaknesses.
Dalton Knecht says it’s a ‘dream come true’ to be drafted by the Lakers
For Dalton Knecht, listening to his identify known as on draft evening was a surreal second, however one which he’ll always remember. The truth that it was the Lakers who chosen him solely made issues even higher.
Knecht known as it a ‘dream come true’ to be drafted by the Lakers, including that he performs with a chip on his shoulder always and is able to get to work for his new staff.
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