Tennessee guard Dalton Knecht will likely hear his name called in the lottery in the 2024 NBA Draft later this week.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Knecht enters the draft as perhaps the top all-around scorer after averaging the eighth-most points in Division I (21.7) last season. Leading up to draft day, Knecht named two specific current players who he shapes his game after, both members of the Phoenix Suns, in an interview with NBA Future Starts Now.
“I model my game after a couple of people,” Knecht said. “I’d say Kevin Durant. I watched every YouTube video of his, and I’d say a lot of Devin Booker. I watched a lot of that at Tennessee, same with (15-year NBA veteran and new Lakers coach) JJ Redick.”
The 6-foot-6 Knecht then elaborated on the videos he watched of Durant, who is a lot of players’ favorite player, including Booker.
“I’ve always watched his game, just as a little kid, always watching YouTube highlights,” Knecht said. “Probably watched every single one of them on YouTube.”
(via @nbafuturenow/ X)
Mom, Dad, KD and Devin Booker are just a few of the people that have impacted @DaltonKnecht3‘s game in different ways! ????
The 2024 #NBADraft presented by State Farm begins Wednesday, June 26th at 8pm/et on ABC/ESPN ✍️ pic.twitter.com/wqcB2XKcxp
— NBA Future Starts Now (@nbafuturenow) June 22, 2024
Knecht is currently ranked as the No. 7 overall prospect on ESPN’s latest big board and has been mocked all over the lottery by a lot of sites.
Although Knecht is going to get drafted at 23 years old versus Booker getting drafted at only 18 years old, Knecht showed what an elite scorer he could be in college and could look at Booker’s career path as something to learn from. The 6-foot-6 Booker went to a poor Suns’ team with the No. 13 overall pick in 2015 and was allowed play how he wanted and make some early mistakes that he ultimately learned from to become one of the game’s top shooting guards.
Booker came off the bench at Kentucky, while Knecht was Tennessee’s No. 1 option, so he already possesses some tools Booker didn’t have coming out of college.
Everything you need to know about Dalton Knecht before the 2024 NBA Draft ????
6’6” | 212 lbs | 23 years old | W – @Vol_Hoops
◦21.7 PTS, 4.9 REB, 1.8 AST, 0.7 STL, 0.6 BLK
◦45.8 FG% 39.7 3PT% 77.2 FT%
◦36 Games, 30.6 MINFrom JUCO ➡️ Northern Colorado ➡️ Tennessee —
Knecht… pic.twitter.com/CzOQGI3WLG
— No Ceilings (@NoCeilingsNBA) June 22, 2024
The first round of the NBA Draft is this Wednesday, June 26. The Suns hold the No. 22 overall pick, so it would be extremely unlikely Knecht falls this far, but he will look to make an instant impact for whatever team he goes to.
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Brendan Mau is a senior writer covering the Phoenix Suns and more for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on X via @Brendan_Mau
