Dalton Knecht helped himself with impressive numbers at the NBA Draft Combine
Dalton Knecht’s NBA Draft stock didn’t need much help, but Tennessee’s star transfer wing still managed to help himself over the weekend at the NBA Draft Combine with impressive numbers across the board.
Knecht had the fastest time in the shuttle run (2.79 seconds), was second fastest in the lane agility drill (10.56 seconds) and was 11th in three-quarter sprint (3.07 seconds). He finished 12th in max vertical (39.0 inches) and 18th in standing vertical (31.0).
He was also second in spot-up shooting, making 84% of his shots in the drill, and was fourth in on-the-move shooting, averaging 72.0%.
On3’s James Fletcher III ranked Knecht second among small forwards in the NBA Draft.
NBA Draft: June 26-27, New York
“Dalton Knecht left no doubt that he can score the basketball at any level,” Fletcher wrote. “Upping his production while moving from Northern Colorado to Tennessee makes him one of the highest floor players on offense.”
“The 6-foot-6 wing will now go head-to-head with athletic defenders more often in the NBA, giving him another area to grow. He improved defensively, but still has questions to answer on that end as well.”
Knecht is being widely projected as a lottery pick in the draft. ESPN updated its mock draft after the lottery determined the draft order on Sunday and projected Knecht to be the No. 8 overall pick to the San Antonio Spurs.
“The Spurs surely have eyes on being competitive sooner rather than later with (Victor) Wembanyama about to become an MVP candidate in the near future,” ESPN’s Jonathan Givony wrote, “so picking a 23-year old plug-and-play shooter/scorer such as Knecht looks like an attractive option.
“His defensive shortcomings can be mitigated to an extent playing behind a future Defensive Player of the Year like Wembanyama.”
Dalton Knecht was a consensus First Team All-American after averaging 21.1 points per game
Knecht was a First Team All-American and finished as a finalist for the Naismith Player of the Year award after averaging 21.1 points per game last season and 25.5 in SEC play. He was First Team All-SEC and won SEC Player of the Year.
He was named one of the Day 1 winners at the NBA Draft Combine by On3’s Jamie Shaw after he measured in at 6-foot-5.25 and 212 pounds, with a 6-9 wingspan and a 39-inch vertical jump.
“When you turn on the tape for Knecht, you see shot-making,” Shaw wrote. “His ability to knock down jump shots off the catch, off movement, and in pull-up fashion popped throughout the year.
“That type of shooting showed during the NBA Draft Combine as reports of his spot shooting drills and pull-up shooting drills were overwhelmingly positive.”
