The Los Angeles Lakers are roughly a month away from the start of training camp. It will give us our first look at the new rookies, especially their first-round draft pick, guard/forward Dalton Knecht, from Tennessee.
If all pans out for Knecht, he could be a vital part of JJ Redick and his staff’s rotation. Only time will tell. In the meantime, Knecht has been working to make sure he gets the opportunity to showcase his skills at the next level and alongside superstars LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
Knecht has been working hard at his craft just months before the real games begin. In a recent interview with Jared Ebanks of Slam, Knecht admitted to modeling his game after Phoenix Suns superstars Kevin Durant and Devin Booker.
“I tried to apply as much as I can to my game, and it kind of just carried on to watching—at Tennessee with Coach Barnes—a lot of Kevin Durant’s highlights, as well as Devin Booker’s,” Knecht says. “So, I just try to take as many players as I can and put it in my game.”
Boefre, the 23-year-old, was drafted by the Lakers; Knecht admitted that Durant was his favorite player of all time, so it’s no surprise he is watching his tape to learn a thing or two that will apply to his game.
Durant and Booker are naturals at getting the ball in the basket. They are also creative at drawing fouls and creating space to get a jump shot off their defender, which is no secret why they are All-NBA players.
The Lakers selected the guard with the No. 17 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. Knecht could be a standout once it is all said and done in a draft class that isn’t considered among the top compared to years past.
Compared to his other draft mates, Knecht could play significant minutes from the start and possibly compete for a title if things work out for L.A. That’s all a couple of months away from now. The former Tennesee transfer stands at 6-foot-6, went into the tough SEC last season, and blew everyone out of the water.
Knecht averaged a team-high 21.7 points per game and 4.9 rebounds while he shot 39.7 percent from three. On top of that, he won SEC Player of the Year, SEC Newcomer of the Year, and was a part of the First-team All-SEC.
The 23-year-old will be among the top players to watch for L.A. as they embark on their 2024-25 campaign.
