The Sacramento Kings' draft pick has been cemented after the draft lottery at 13th overall. The question now becomes, who should they go after? Today's draft spotlight is on Tennessee Volunteers star Dalton Knecht.
Physical Attributes
Position: SG/SF Height: 6' 5.25" Weight: 212 lbs Wingspan: 6' 9" *All stats pulled from NBA.com.
Bio
Knecht began his career as a low level recruit with zero Division 1 offers, and he landed at Northeastern Community College. From his senior year in high school to his sophomore season he grew 6 inches and averaged 23.9 points and 7.5 rebounds on 51.2% shooting and 39.5% from 3.
After his junior college breakout he transferred to Northern Colorado and averaged 20.2 points and 7.2 rebounds during his senior season. This drew interest from many high level Division I schools for his final year of eligibility, including Rick Barnes at the University of Tennessee. Knecht would commit to Tennessee hoping to improve his overall game to raise his draft stock, and boy did he.
Knecht averaged a flashy 25.5 points per game in SEC play and had 5 35+ point performances, including a 40-point game against Kentucky and a 37-point performance against the NCAA Tournament Runner-Up Purdue Boilermakers in the Elite 8. This earned him SEC Player of the Year and National Player of the Year Runner-Up.
Scouting Report
While Knecht played the wing more in college, he may be more of a two-guard in the NBA but could flex to the wing based on rotations and team needs. The Kings should look to add bench scoring with the potential departure of Malik Monk and Buddy Hield. Knecht is that offensive scoring threat and has a high offensive ceiling.
His ability to play multiple off ball positions makes him a good fit in Sacramento within their heavy screen action offense. He was schemed many off ball screens in college and also was the recipient of many dribble handoffs that led to made shots. Domantas Sabonis setting screens for Knecht could be a match made in heaven.
Knecht does still have a few areas to work on, mostly on the defensive end. While Knecht wasn't a total liability on defense, and it did improve as the season went along, he still had too many defensive breakdowns at time. This needs to improve for him to earn a starting role long term, Knecht does have potential. He finished 1st in shuttle run and 2nd in lane agility in the combine, which shows he has the athleticism to play defense, he just needs more time to develop that part of his game.
Draft Positioning
Knecht is a projected top 10 pick in this year's draft, so the Kings may have to move up if they want to take him. Fortunately they do have assets like expiring contracts, or Harrison Barnes, that could be attractive trade options for the move up. If Knecht is available at 13, he would be a great value for the Kings at a position of need, providing the bench scoring they are looking for.