NBA Summer League Shows Why Dalton Knecht Was the Steal of the Draft

The L.A. Lakers have had a pretty disappointing off-season, all things considered. They re-signed superstar LeBron James , but at a steep price after not being able to bring in any additional talent to supplement their roster beyond James, Anthony Davis , and Austin Reaves . Unfortunately for Laker nation, it seems that they will enter yet another season with the same level of roster that was outclassed in back-to-back postseasons by the Denver Nuggets .

However, the only silver lining for the purple and gold was that they were able to get one of the best value picks of the NBA Draft this summer, and no, it was notBronny James . Dalton Knecht slipping all the way to the 17th pick after being one of the best players in America last college season was a stroke of luck rarely experienced by LA in recent years.

Even the knock on Knecht which caused him to slide, being 23 years old already, is a positive for a Lakers team who desperately needs a contributor next season to help their aging superstars.

Knecht has had mixed results so far in NBA Summer League, but has clearly showed signs of being a valuable role player as a rookie in LA. His playstyle, fit, and confidence as a 23-year-old should lend itself to success next to James in the spotlight of Hollywood.

Dalton Knecht Showed He Is Clearly A Confident Shooter

The Lakers are yearning for more spot-up talent

After their aforementioned lackluster free agency, where the Lakers made no additions and lost one of their few snipers in Taurean Prince (39.6 percent from three on 4.6 attempts per game), Los Angeles will take any help they can get on the outside. Spacing has been a problem for LA throughout the LeBron/Davis era, partly because of the nature of their star’s offensive games, but also an inconsistent group of shooters to stretch the floor.

If Knecht can carry over the confidence he shot with in college as well as early in the summer to the league, the Lakers will have solved a position of need in their rotation for the three years James is under contract. Although his efficiency was questionable, Knecht proved he was more than comfortable enough hoisting threes off the catch and on the move, and his form looked as pure as ever.

Furthermore, Knecht was a consistently great shooter in all three of his college seasons, finishing with an elite 39.7 percent campaign on 6.5 attempts per game (incredible volume for college ball). He should get much better looks in a Laker jersey with James creating open looks and feeding him the ball in the best spots on the floor, and could return to his excellent efficiency in college.

If he is able to do this for even 15 minutes a game next year under rookie head coach JJ Redick , it will be a huge boost for the Lakers.

More Than Just A Spot-Up Shooter

Knecht proved Lakers can use more of his game

As seen in recent NBA Playoffs, one-tool players who only bring a single skill to the table while struggling in other areas can be fine in the regular season, but are nearly unplayable in the postseason. Opposing coaches find it too easy to exploit specific weaknesses throughout a seven-game series, usually playing one-trick ponies off the floor.

Luckily for LA, although they need Knecht to provide one primary asset as a spot-up shooter to help their spacing, he should theoretically be resilient in playoff environments because he has all the other strengths he can call on. Offensively, he is more than just a marksman from deep, but also a pure scorer who can get buckets off screens and in isolation.

He was the leading scorer on his team for his last two college seasons, with 2023-24 coming at the top of the sport in SEC competition. Knecht led his Tennessee squad to the Elite Eight as the main guy, creating shots off the bounce, off screens, in pick-and-roll, and as an over-the-top shotmaker.

Being able to bring some of that to the table as a rookie beyond just stand-still range shooting should help him instantly be effective on the playoff stage. He may even be able to run some bench units as the primary option as he develops and gets more comfortable.

Knecht posted a near double-double in his third outing

Lost in the shuffle of all the shotmaking talent that Knecht brings to the table is that he’s an NBA-quality athlete with good size at 6’6″, 200 pounds. So far in Summer League, he has shown the ability to hang with the physicality at the next level, as well as showcase his athletic tools by running the floor in transition.

Knecht showed off his bounce with a highlight-reel two-hand flush in traffic over two defenders against the Golden State Warriors. This was just one of several buckets he scored off of cuts, which is a positive sign of his capability to play within a team-based, ball movement system led by the smartest player in league history in LeBron James.

In his breakout third game, Knecht not only put up 20 points, but snatched nine rebounds, giving the Lakers another glimpse into his all-around game. He also posted 25 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists in his fourth outing, yet again flashing his overall skillset.

If he can improve defensively and slide his feet in front of NBA wings, Knecht will prove that he is much more than just a scorer.

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