ESPN has a new prediction for Dalton Knecht in updated NBA Draft
ESPN has a new prediction for Dalton Knecht in its latest NBA mock draft, dropping the Tennessee star wing one spot but keeping him in state, projecting him to be picked at No. 9 overall by the Memphis Grizzlies. ESPN previously had Knecht mocked at No. 8 to the San Antonio Spurs.
“An injury-plagued season gives the Grizzlies a chance to add more talent to a roster already featuring three significant building blocks in Ja Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Desmond Bane,” ESPN’s Jonathan Givony wrote in the updated mock draft. “Considering the team’s timetable, and the urgency surely in place to make a run back to the NBA playoffs next season, finding plug-and-play options who can contribute immediately without too long of a development runway will likely be important.”
Knecht put up impressive numbers during last week’s NBA Draft Combine in Chicago, posting the fastest time in the shuttle run (2.79 seconds), second second fastest in the lane agility drill (10.56 seconds) and 11th fastest 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%.
“At 23 years old and coming off an All-America season,” Givony wrote, “Knecht looks like an attractive option with that in mind. He’s one of the best shooters in this class, but he can put the ball in the basket in a variety of ways and has the frame and length to play either wing position.”
NBA Draft: June 26-27, New York
On3’s James Fletcher III ranked Knecht second among small forwards in the NBA Draft.
“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.”
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Knecht is being widely projected as a lottery pick in the draft.
Dalton Knecht was a consensus First Team All-American after averaging 21.1 points per game
He 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.
Knecht was named one of the 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.”
