The San Antonio Spurs have been playing a bit better as of late — even if the record doesn’t reflect that — but they could still use shooting. No one has really shown a penchant for getting super hot and the team could still use someone who creates for themselves more often. Enter Tennessee senior Dalton Knecht. The 6-foot-6, 213-pound wing has been an absolute fireball this year.
Knecht has oftentimes been the lone offensive output on a defense-oriented Volunteer squad. He had a stretch of three games against Florida, Georgia, and Mississippi State where he put up 39, 36, and 28 points, respectively. In most draft years, his age would be a deterrent for some front offices. However, having played at multiple levels of college — he started in JUCO before playing at Northern Colorado and then Tennessee — he has a great maturity to his game. There are some shades of Derrick White in that regard. In the 18 games he’s played this season, here are his stats.
- 18.8 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 1.7 APG, 0.7 SPG
- 47.9 FG%, 40.0 3P%, 83.0 FT%
- 23.4 PER, 122.7 ORtg, 98.1 DRtg
Dalton Knecht Breakdown
Knecht leaped to the SEC hoping to showcase that he’s a Power-5 player and eventually an NBA prospect. It’s safe to say he’s made the impression he was hoping for there. He’s proven that he’s a fearless and confident shooter while also not being too selfish within the offense. Tennessee does tend to get stagnant there, but it’s usually Knecht who is dragging them out of a slump to pull away in games.
The former JUCO star is not just a spot-up shooter either. He is comfortably attacking close-outs aggressively and he makes difficult shots often. He finishes at the rim with both hands fairly well and has had some highlight plays above the rim to boot. He’s a good slasher who plays off the ball well and is a smart offensive player even when the ball is not in his hands.
If he can show a bit more consistency as a passer and prove he’s more than just an offensive threat, he could be catapulting into the top 10 of this draft. Especially since there is so much uncertainty surrounding many of the top prospects. He will have to defend better, but there’s a reason for the old saying, “shooting makes up for a multitude of sins.”
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