Last year, the Los Angeles Lakers were very lucky to get to take University of Tennessee sharpshooter Dalton Knecht with the No. 17 pick in the NBA draft. Knecht, who averaged 21.7 points a game and shot 39.7% from 3-point range, was widely expected to be one of the first 10 players taken in the draft, but when he was available at pick No. 17, the Lakers didn’t try to get cute or overthink it.
At first glance, he may seem like the prototypical 3-point specialist who is slow of foot and lacks explosiveness. But he actually displayed ample athleticism during last year’s draft combine. His vertical leap was measured at a very solid 39 inches, and he finished second in lane agility time and tops in the shuttle run.
This year, the No. 1 pick in the draft will almost assuredly be Cooper Flagg from Duke University. Flagg is a 6-foot-9 do-everything forward who excels on both ends of the floor, and he has been lauded for his fluid athleticism.
However, according to journalist Iztok Franko, Knecht did better overall in the draft combine than Flagg did.
Indeed, Flagg’s vertical leap was measured at 35.5 inches, and he came in at 10.64 seconds in the lane agility test, which was eighth, and he was 18th in the shuttle run at 2.92 seconds. Knecht clocked in at 2.79 and 10.56 seconds in the lane agility and shuttle run, respectively.
This all should provide hope that Knecht can become, at the very least, a serviceable defender who won’t hurt his team. His defense is presumably what prevented him from becoming a consistent part of head coach JJ Redick’s rotation this season, but some significant improvement in that category, as well as continued growth offensively, should result in more playing time.