Thunder Draft Report: Tennessee's Dalton Knecht

Tennessee's Dalton Knecht fits the Oklahoma City Thunder's style of play and might be the right pick come June.

Mar 15, 2024; Nashville, TN, USA; Tennessee Volunteers guard Dalton Knecht (3) looks on from the / Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

Despite battling for a top spot in the Western Conference, the OKC Thunder still have an absorbent amount of picks, including a projected lottery pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.\\

Let’s take a look at Dalton Knecht and how he would fit in the Thunder system. 

Draft Profile 

• Height: 6'6
• Weight: 204
• Wingspan: N/A
• Age: 23
• School: Tennessee

Quick Scouting Report

Knecht started his career in Junior College before transferring to Northern Colorado which led to him landing at the University of Tennessee this season after dominating the Big Sky. As a Vol, Knecht is averaging 21.1 points, 4.9 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.2 stocks per game.

The 23-year-old is shooting 46 percent from the floor, 39 percent from beyond the arc and 76 percent at the charity stripe. A three-level scorer who can hold his own as a team defender with this frame.

Strengths and Weakness

Strengths

Knecht can get you a bucket at all three levels with tremendous shot-making off-movement. It makes him dangerous curling off screens, in relocations and during tap-out scrambles. Knecht shoots 43 percent on spot-up attempts turning in 1.170 points per possession in such settings.

The Vols forward cashes in catch-and-shoot looks at a 41 percent clip putting him in the 86th percentile in that category. This is just one way his play-finishing pops as the forward shoots 59 percent at the ring and can dominate as a cutter.

Knecht projects to thrive on both ends of the pick-and-roll with enough playmaking and off-the-dribble scoring to lead the way as a handler, as well as his ability to finish off plays as a screener. While Rick Barnes has not used the forward as a screener yet, his ability to pop out to the three-point line or roll hard to the rim with a high catch radius is something NBA teams should tap into as guard-to-guard screens become more popular.

Despite his defensive limitations, his motor and energy were never in question. It is why you should be encouraged he can be a team defender at the next level.

Weaknesses

The biggest weakness for Knecht is defense. Especially at the NBA level as you see the spacing improve and the offenses turn pick-and-roll heavy you have to worry about the 23-year-old's ability to play in space and against some of the top scorers.

In a modern era where everyone has to playmaker for most teams, Knecht will not let the ball stick to him but also does not create a ton of advantages for others as a passer. While not a make-or-break aspect, Knecht is only going to be a connective playmaker at the next level instead of a lead facilitator.

A little too comfortable taking transition triples despite his ability to score at the rim. Running the floor hard with his ability to finish on either side would generate more buckets for his offense.

Availability

• Draft Digest: 13
• Ringer Guide: 14
• ESPN Mock: 18
• The Athletic: 10
• Bleacher Report: 13
• CBS: 14
• Draft Net: 3
• Tankathon: 16

Thunder Fit

The Tennessee forward would instantly come in and provide a scoring spark off the bench for Oklahoma City. While he will likely never be an NBA star and some of his limits on defense make you wonder how good he could be in a starting role, he can absolutely fill it up.

His future in the NBA resides as a microwave scorer who needs to be protected on the defensive end of the floor. The Thunder have the luxury of lineups that can put another defense, and creation, around Kenecht to make him one of the best bench players in the NBA.

Future Role

The Thunder would be able to use him as their top bench scorer, improving the staggered lineups at the end of the first quarter with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and packing a punch to the bench lineups to start the second and fourth frames.

Knecht can be hidden in every lineup Mark Daigneault will put on the floor given the Thunder's stable of defenders. The Vols forward can even close games for the Thunder should they get into a shootout late.

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