Dalton Knecht can comfortably say he's had a rookie experience unlike anyone else from the 2024 NBA Draft. By now, everyone should know about the debacle that was the Mark Williams trade.
Knecht got a very early lesson about how much of a business the NBA truly is. After almost ending up with the Charlotte Hornets, all the Lakers rookie can really do from here is just try to move on from the fiasco.
The unfortunate part of this entire situation is the fact that it has taken the spotlight away from a pretty solid rookie season for the former Tennessee Volunteers star. The 2024 NBA Draft was billed to be one of the weakest group of players in recent memory, drawing dubious comparisons to the 2013 class.
Relative to the expectations for the class, there are a few teams who can feel good about the rookies they selected in the 2024 offseason. The Lakers are certainly among that group.
Knecht's strengths should continue to stand out
Heading into the 2024 NBA Draft, the appeal of Knecht as a prospect was his 3-level scoring ability. Most draft analysts felt this would give the talented scorer a safe floor in the league, as well as offering some upside with what he could eventually blossom into.
The analysis of Knecht having a safe floor has proven to be true. The first-year pro has been able to translate that scoring ability to the NBA at a healthy rate.
Knecht has averaged 9.4 points per game, with promising shooting splits of 46.4 percent from the field, 36.0 percent from beyond the arc, and 81.4 percent at the free throw line. That adds up to a 59.9 true shooting percentage. His scoring average ranks 7th among all rookies to have played at least 500 minutes in the 2024-25 NBA season.
Those numbers are bound to go up in the second half of the season too, when Knecht gets the opportunity to play beside Luka Doncic. The newest Lakers superstar has always been terrific at creating easy perimeter looks for his teammates.
The Lakers have had an offensive rating of 118 per 100 possessions with their rookie on the court during the 2024-25 NBA season. Knecht has chipped in 1.2 offensive win shares to this point in the process.
The obvious hurdle that the 23-year-old will need to overcome is his subpar defense. Knecht pretty much cancels out his offensive impact with the Lakers possessing a defensive rating of 118 per 100 possessions when the rookie is on the court.
Knecht has posted a -1.8 defensive box plus/minus so far in 2024-25. The problems with him on the defensive end are also pretty spot on with the initital draft prognosis. Knecht is not a bad team defender, but can get exposed when isolated and targeted in individual perimeter matchups.
If the Lakers marksman can improve on his defense, he should have a solidified spot in the rotation for a long time. Until then, Knecht's offense can still carve out opportunities for him to play.