Prospect Scouting Report: Dalton Knecht – At The Hive

ESPN released a new mock draft on Wednesday, and in it, they had the Charlotte Hornets selecting Dalton Knecht out of Tennessee. Knecht had a distinguished final season at Tennessee, earning SEC Player of the Year and consensus All American honors. He’d probably be a leading candidate for national player of the year in any season that didn’t also feature Zach Edey. Still, there are questions about how he’ll translate to the NBA.

Measurements

Height: 6’5.25″
Wingspan: 6’9″
Standing reach: 8’7.5″
Weight: 212 pounds
Standing vertical: 31″
Max vertical: 39″

Strengths

Shooting/scoring ability, off ball activity

Knecht really brings one thing to the table, but many would argue that it is the most important thing to have at the table. He can put the ball in the basket. In his one season in the SEC, he averaged 21.7 points per game while shooting 49.9% from the field and 39.7% from three on high volume. The shooting percentages probably don’t do the shooting ability justice, as his shot profile was rather difficult.

He’s got great shooting form. He doesn’t jump much, which helps him have a quick, repeatable release. He does a good job getting set and getting on balance when catching and shooting on the move, and Tennessee ran a lot of action for him to get shots coming off screens and other off ball actions. He should be able to immediately step in and function as a 3-point threat.

Dalton Knecht hit 12 different movement threes off designed BLOB plays at Tennessee this season.

Just a ridiculously talented shooter. pic.twitter.com/WIEOCzMZDb

— Daniel Olinger (@dan_olinger) June 13, 2024

Knecht is a smart off ball mover as well. He relocates on the perimeter to make himself available for kick outs. He’s a smart cutter and has some bounce to catch lobs and finish above the rim. He’s not a particularly shifty ball handler, but he can attack closeouts, get downhill, and finish at the basket. He has plenty of tools to be a good complementary scorer.

Question Marks

Defense, play making, age

Knecht is going to have to become a significantly better defender in the NBA if he’s going to be a big minute player on a good team. He tested well athletically at the combine, which might fool teams into thinking he has more defensive tools than he showed in college. He played significantly slower than he tested. He’s heavy footed on the perimeter is prone to getting blown buy without a whole lot of resistance. He’s not super engaged off the ball. I think some of that gets explained away because of his offensive role, but good NBA defenders can be good collegiate defenders without needing to try all that hard.

I’ve seen a few different takes on how Knecht fits into an offense. I’ve heard a couple college basketball analysts that Knecht sometimes seems to operate independently of the rest of his teammates on offense, getting too locked into searching for his own buckets instead of fitting within the offensive flow. He takes some very tough shots, especially if he gets cut off trying to attack the basket. He averaged just 2.1 assists per 36 minutes despite his very heavy usage. He didn’t turn the ball over much, but that’s partly a product of not threatening defenses with his passing.

Knecht is already 23 years old, and he’s older than LaMelo Ball, who’s entering his fifth NBA season. Lottery picks his age tend to have very low ceilings relative to their younger counterparts. Buddy Hield and Cam Johnson are the biggest success stories in recent seasons, while guys like Doug McDermott, Frank Kaminsky, Obi Toppin, etc. have shown that older prospects that dominated college basketball don’t necessarily have the easiest transition to the pro game.

Overall Outlook

Knecht’s scoring ability is enticing, especially for a Hornets team that has had struggles shooting the ball in recent seasons. However, selecting a player of his age tends to be a low ceiling move that has more risk than it’s given credit for. A team that is still a ways away from competing meaningfully is better off adding more young talent that can develop the star power the team needs.