ESPN: Tennessee's Dalton Knecht is the best movement shooter in the NBA Draft
ESPN has Dalton Knecht at No. 8 overall on its list of the 100 best player available in the NBA Draft. But there’s one area in particular that Knecht is better than any other player: Movement shooting.
ESPN’s Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo listed the best players in the draft at certain skillsets — shooting, defense, pick-and-roll finishers and pick-and-roll playmakers, etc. — and named Knecht as the best movement shooter in the draft.
“Tennessee gave Knecht all the work he could handle as a scorer this season,” Woo wrote, “and he proved quite dangerous working away from the ball, making 39.7% of his total shots off screens and 36.8% of 3s. He has developed a good understanding of how to set defenders up and can knock down jumpers cleanly on the move or off one dribble.”
Mock drafts have Dalton Knecht projected as high as No. 6 overall
Most NBA mock drafts have Knecht projected to be picked in the middle of the draft lottery, including as high as No. 6 overall to the Charlotte Hornets.
The first round of the NBA Draft is set for Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN and ABC. Givony reported last week that Knecht was one of the first 12 players to receive invites to attend the NBA Draft and sit in the green room.
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.
Dalton Knecht shot 72% in on-the-move shooting drill at NBA Combine
At the NBA Draft Combine in May, Knecht was second in spot-up shooting, making 84% of his shots in the drill, and was fourth in on-the-move shooting, averaging 72.0%.
He had the fastest time in the shuttle run (2.79 seconds), was second fastest in the lane agility drill (10.56 seconds). He was 11th in the three-quarter court sprint (3.07 seconds) and finished 12th in max vertical (39.0 inches) and 18th in standing vertical (31.0).
“Knecht has excellent directional footwork and never works in too much of a hurry,” Wo wrote, “helping him save time and create space setting up his jumper. The key for Knecht, who is ranked No. 8 in ESPN’s Top 100, isn’t just consistency of release, but also knowing how to receive the ball, stay balanced and work quickly with defenders in pursuit.”
