The Los Angeles Lakers pulled off a heist on Day 1 of the 2024 NBA draft, as they landed former Tennessee guard Dalton Knecht with the 17th overall pick. The reigning SEC Player of the Year was projected to be a top-10 pick but surprisingly was untouched until the Lakers came knocking. General manager Rob Pelinka was excited about the guard’s addition to the roster and revealed new head coach JJ Redick’s reaction to the pick.
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During the post-draft press conference, Pelinka claimed that the Lakers were massive admirers of Knecht, but assumed he’d have his name called well before they made their pick. He added that the team would’ve drafted him if they had the 10th pick and landing with the 17th was ‘extraordinary.’ Revealing Redick’s reaction to the Lakers landing Knecht, Pelinka said,
“I was joking with coach Redick upstairs that we found a movement shooter to match his skills as a player. And he was already at his whiteboard drawing up pin-downs and ATOs and actions where he could run a movement shooter off-screen. So, I think his mind is already working on drawing up plays for Dalton.”
Rob Pelinka on Dalton Knecht: "In my mind it was like, there's no way a player like this could be available for us to pick on draft night. Across the board I couldn't be happier." pic.twitter.com/G8U8lma7iI
— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) June 27, 2024
The Lakers are seemingly unbothered as to why Knecht fell to 17th. They are overjoyed about landing the 23-year-old guard, who averaged 21.3 points and shot 39.7% from beyond the arc in his final season in college.
As Pelinka noted, his ability to shoot well off-screen is similar to Redick’s strong suit during his playing days. The similarity between the two prompted Skip Bayless to ponder on the real reason why the Lakers were keen on landing the guard.
Skip Bayless compares Dalton Knecht to JJ Redick
During his 15-year NBA career, Redick was among the league’s finest three-point shooters. He retired with an exceptional 41.5% conversion rate from beyond the arc. And like his new head coach, Dalton Knecht is also a reliable three-point threat. The guard banked 38.3% of his three-point attempts during his three-year college career, improving his conversion rate each season.
Bayless noticed the parallels between Redick and Knecht and claimed that the Lakers may have handed their new coach another version of himself.
Maybe JJRedick's Lakers just drafted a JJRedick.
— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) June 27, 2024
The Lakers desperately needed a JJ Redick-esque player on the roster. They attempted the third-fewest three-pointers during the regular season, and their 29.4% conversion rate during the playoffs was the second-worst among all teams. Knecht will provide a much-needed boost to their three-point threat, and space the floor for Anthony Davis and LeBron James to work their magic in the paint.
