He fell further than expected in the NBA Draft, but former Tennessee Basketball forward Dalton Knecht found the perfect spot. The All-American is going to a team that is desperate for more spacing and players who can create, he’ll team up with the league’s premiere superstar, and he’s playing for a coach who was a sharpshooter.
That’s right. The Los Angeles Lakers selected Knecht with the 17th pick overall in the draft. Assuming LeBron James stays in LA, Knecht will have the perfect teammate to set him up to do what he does best, which is score from anywhere on the court.
Meanwhile, J.J. Redick, LA’s new coach, is the exact type of coach to develop Knecht. Remember, Redick was a sharpshooter who could create for himself. Although Redick was a better shooter, he was three inches shorter at 6’3″ 200 pounds. Knecht is 6’6″ 213 pounds and more athletic.
Simply put, Knecht could be all-star worthy with Redick’s skills set along with his size and athleticism. Then there is what the Lakers need. We know what James brings to the table, and he sets up everybody to make plays for themselves on offense.
On top of that, Anthony Davis will still be the inside presence necessary, and he and James can clog the paint. Then Knecht can join Austin Reaves on the outside. Reaves is another guy who proved he can space the floor, so by stretching out the defense, Knecht could be an elite scorer.
Hey, maybe he could be the heir apparent to James and become the star in LA in a few years. He is an insanely hard worker after all, and he’s going to the right situation. Simply put, he should be happy with where he landed in the NBA Draft.
Knecht is the Vols’ highest player taken in the NBA Draft since Marcus Haislip back in 2002, who went No. 13 overall. The last top 20 pick for Tennessee Basketball was Tobias Harris at No. 19 back in 2011. He’s the seventh UT player selected in the draft since Rick Barnes took over.
