When the Los Angeles Lakers drafted Dalton Knecht, they had no idea they would end up landing Luka Doncic, but in hindsight, they could have done so much better. So many of the rookies that were drafted after Knecht would have been incredible fits alongside Doncic moving forward, yet the Lakers didn’t take any of them.
Instead, they chose to bet on the scoring and efficiency of Knecht, which he’s shown flashes of since entering the NBA. However, had they taken Yves Missi, Kyshawn George, or even Ryan Dunn instead, they would have an even more elite young core right now.
But again, at the time, they didn’t know Doncic was heading their way.
Lakers could have drafted better Luka Doncic piece
With Doncic leading the way, the Lakers are in a great place (obviously). But now, they need to figure out the best possible way to build around Doncic heading into the future.
Austin Reaves is going to be a huge part of that. When Doncic was on the Dallas Mavericks, they paired him alongside Kyrie Irving, and that team made the NBA Finals. Reaves can play that role in LA.
Next up, the Lakers should look to find guys who can protect the rim, act as lob threats, cover for Doncic on the defensive end, and provide some additional shot-creation needs.
Missi, George, and Dunn, all of whom were selected almost directly after Knecht, can fill at least one of those needs better than Knecht can. Knecht was picked at No. 17, Missi was at No. 21, George was at No. 24, and Dunn was at No. 28.
Missi would be a great pick-and-roll partner for Doncic. He could be a solid rim protector for LA while also giving Doncic a lob threat to work with in the half-court.
Dunn is an elite defender. He would be an absolute menace for JJ Redick to deploy on the defensive end. Plus, he could be a great off-ball cutter next to Doncic.
But George may be the biggest miss of them all. He’s turned into a legitimate blossoming star with the Washington Wizards this year, and his shot creation would have paired perfectly with Doncic and Reaves.
So far this season, George is averaging 14.9 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 4.9 assists while shooting 46.2% from the floor and 43.9% from deep on 5.6 three-point attempts per contest.
Had the Lakers taken any of the three over Knecht, their future with Doncic would be looking that much brighter.