3 Player comparisons for Los Angeles Lakers draft pick Dalton Knecht

Realistic Upside Comparison: Buddy Hield

Over the course of his eight seasons, Buddy Hield has established himself as one of the best shooters in the NBA. He has a career 40.0 percent conversion rate from beyond the arc and has managed to make a positive impact with multiple franchises.

A late-arrival who came to the NBA with questions about his age and remaining upside, Hield sets a great example for what Knecht has the potentail to become.

Hield turned 24 during his rookie season, much as Knecht will during his own. It took time and a change of scenery for him to begin to tap into his potential, but the Los Angeles Lakers are ideally equipped to avoid that fate.

In Los Angeles, Knecht could experience similar success to what Hield was able to accomplish with the Sacramento Kings as a sharpshooting wing on a team that has multiple playmakers.

Hield peaked at 20.7 points per game in 2018-19, which would certainly be a welcome level of production from Knecht. More likely, however, is the outcome that Knecht will produce in the mid-to-high teens as a lights-out shooter who can create adequately and space the floor.

The dream outcome would be for Knecht to improve on defense and become a 3-and-D player, but the realistic ambition of having a consistently valuable offensive player is the likely projection.