The Los Angeles Lakers appeared to get a steal in the 2024 NBA Draft when Tennessee wing Dalton Knecht fell to them with the 17th overall pick.
Knecht was expected to go in the top 10, but his age and lack of strength and athleticism made him slip to the Lakers, who were happy to draft an NBA-ready player that can shoot from deep.
Playing for the Lakers during Summer League, Knecht was able to flash some of his potential. His offense game is very polished as he can score from anywhere on the court.
The lack of strength was apparent when finishing at the rim though, and the same could be said for the defensive end of the court where Knecht struggled. It appears he and the Lakers recognized that though and worked on it the rest of the summer as Mike Bresnahan reported on Spectrum’s ‘Lakeshow’ Podcast that Knecht has put on some muscle and strength:
“I did hear that Knecht has been putting on some muscle. So he’s definitely getting bigger. I thought he was already pretty good around the rim for a guard, but now he’s gonna be bigger and better than what we saw the last of him several months ago when he was still a college kid.”
If Knecht was able to put on strength then that will help him on the defensive end and finishing at the rim. And if those areas of his game improve, then the Lakers really did get the steal of the draft.
It remains to be seen how much strength he put on and how much it will make a difference. Lack of strength is often a huge issue for rookies entering the league though, so it is good to see Knecht address it before starting his first training camp with the Lakers.
Lakers injury updates
Dalton Knecht may have a chance to earn rotation minutes from the jump for the Lakers as it was recently reported that Jarred Vanderbilt may not be ready for the start of training camp due to his lingering foot issue.
On the other hand, reports have also indicated that both Rui Hachimura and Gabe Vincent will be ready to go, which is great news for the Lakers.
Injuries were a huge issue for L.A. a year ago so hopefully all of these role guys, as well as LeBron James and Anthony Davis, can remain healthy and on the floor in 2024-25.
