ESPN: Tennessee's Dalton Knecht could get 'some lottery looks' in the NBA Draft
Dalton Knecht’s surge in recent weeks has been good enough for the Tennessee wing to earn “some lottery looks” in the NBA Draft, according to ESPN NBA Draft analyst Jonathan Givony. Knecht is currently ranked No. 18 on ESPN’s list of the top-25 draft prospects.
The 6-foot-6, 213-pound Knecht is averaging 20.3 points per game this season while shooting 47.7% from the field and 40.5% from the 3-point line. He’s averaging 28.4 points over his last five games, scoring 25 or more points seven times and 30 or more points four times.
“The Northern Colorado transfer is an SEC Player of the Year candidate,” Givony wrote, “thanks to his impressive scoring exploits that go deeper than just his outstanding shot-making ability.
“He’s a significant weapon pushing in the open floor, operating out of pick-and-roll, posting up weaker opponents, attacking closeouts, finishing above the rim, getting to the free-throw line and mostly making good decisions with the ball as a high-usage option.”
Knecht had 22 points in 28 minutes in Tennessee’s 85-69 loss at Texas A&M Saturday night. He had 27 last week in the win over LSU at Thompson-Boling Arena, 31 against South Carolina on January 30 and 32 at Vanderbilt on January 27.
He scored a season-high 39 points against Florida on January 16, after going for 36 at Georgia three days earlier. He had 28 at Mississippi State on January 10 and 16 at Kentucky on February 7.
“While there are some questions about how many aspects of his scoring game will translate (to the NBA),” Givony wrote, “his movement shooting gives him a strong niche as an NBA prospect.
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“The fact Knecht can do more than that with his solid size, length and explosiveness might get him some lottery looks depending on how he finishes the season.”
He started the season with 24 points at Wisconsin on November 10 and on November 29 had 37 at North Carolina. During a five-game stretch from December 12 to January 6, Knecht cooled off with just 38 total points, with eight points or less in four of the five games.
Knecht three weeks ago was projected as high as No. 13 overall in NBA mock drafts and as low as No. 30 or No. 32 in others. The top 14 picks in the NBA Draft are decided by the draft lottery, determining the order of selection.
To keep his draft stock climbing, Givony said that Knecht will have to continue to make progress on the defensive end.
“Showing better ability defensively would help his case,” Givony wrote, “as he struggles to hold his own both one-on-one and especially off the ball, having a difficult time navigating screens.”
