Dalton Knecht became one of the fastest-rising draft prospects due to a stellar college season. Somewhat of an unknown before the season, Knecht is a multi-talented scorer who is now considered one of the top prospects in this year’s draft. Let’s dive into Knecht’s game and how it projects in the NBA.
Dalton Knecht 2024 NBA Draft Profile
College Career
Knecht had one of the most unconventional paths to the NBA draft. He started his collegiate career at Northeastern Junior College in Colorado. While at Northeastern Knecht had a late growth spurt shooting up from 6’3” to 6’6” after two seasons at JUCO he would transfer to Division 1 Northern Colorado. In his first season, Knecht averaged 8.9 ppg before exploding in his senior year averaging 20 ppg, 7.2 rpg, and shooting 38% on three-pointers. He was named to the All-Big Sky team in 2023.
Knecht transferred to Tennessee to use his final year of eligibility. At Tennessee Knecht reached another level and became one of college basketball’s biggest stars. Knecht averaged 21.7 ppg (eighth in the country), 4.9 rpg, and shot 39% from beyond the arc. His prolific shooting and scoring abilities made him one of the most exciting players in college basketball. Knecht led Tennessee to a 27-9 record good for the best record in the SEC and a two-seed in the NCAA tournament.
As a result, Knecht was awarded the SEC Player of the Year and was named a consensus All-American. In the NCAA tournament, Knecht raised his stock even more, averaging an absurd 26 ppg, while shooting 40% from the three-pointer line en route to leading Tennessee to the Elite Eight. Knecht poured in 37 points and six three-pointers in their Elite Eight game against Purdue. Tennessee ultimately came up short, losing by six points to Purdue however, Knecht’s efforts were nothing short of incredible. He was named to the Midwest’s All-Region team as a result of his stellar play throughout the tournament.
Strengths
Knecht’s most obvious strength is his knockdown shooting ability. Knecht is a career 38% three-point shooter who can both spot up and create his own shot. This skill set makes Knecht a dangerous scoring threat and arguably the best shooter in the draft class. Additionally, it makes him a safer prospect as he’ll bring at least one elite skill to the next level.
In a draft class with so much uncertainty, this will play to Knecht’s advantage. Knecht pairs his shooting with elite off-ball movement and high-level finishing abilities. He is perhaps the best off-ball player in the draft class constantly moving around the perimeter to create open looks. Knecht is a crafty finisher with solid athleticism and has no problem finishing through contact; he averaged 5.7 free throws per game while shooting 58% at the rim. Ultimately this skill set makes Knecht the complete package as a scorer.
Weaknesses
In terms of weaknesses, Knecht’s defense is top of the list. He was a below-average defender at the college level in large part due to his lack of lateral quickness in the NBA he’ll be targeted even more on the defensive end. Knecht will likely never be a good defender in the NBA but he must find a way not to be a complete liability on that end of the floor.
Knecht also hasn’t shown much as a playmaker, averaging just 1.8 assists in his college career and 1.7 turnovers per game. This will need to be improved upon for Knecht to become anything more than an elite spot-up role player. Knecht recently turned 23 giving him less upside than other prospects within the same range. While he projects to make an immediate impact his age will certainly hurt him throughout the draft process.
NBA Comparison
Knecht’s elite shooting and off-ball movement abilities are similar to that of Buddy Hield and Bogdan Bogdanovic. As is his overall scoring and creation abilities. If Knecht can develop into an All-Star level player Desmond Bane comes to mind as a comparison.
Draft Projection
Middle lottery pick
