Dalton Knecht’s unique path to the pros makes him a unique prospect for the Lakers
Dalton Knecht has a unique basketball history. Let’s dig into how that could make him a better pro for the Lakers.
The Los Angeles Lakers drafted forward and fifth-year senior Dalton Knecht with the 17th pick in the 2024 NBA draft.
Although the moment was the culmination of years of hard work for Knecht, it was still bittersweet as he was projected to go in the top 10, yet slid down the board mainly due to his age.
The slide encompassed his path to the NBA thus far, a path that has been winding and anything but easy.
The former Tennessee Volunteer had no offers coming out of high school, went to a junior college for two years before transferring to Northern Colorado for two years. Finally, he transferred to Tennessee under the tutelage of Rick Barnes for his final season of eligibility. Knecht went on to win SEC Player of the Year and was named a First Team All-American.
This unique path makes Knecht a unique NBA prospect for multiple reasons, which I explained in the following video.
By all accounts, from GM Rob Pelinka to multiple reporters, the Lakers couldn’t believe they even had a chance to draft Knecht. In fact, he never even worked out for the team because there was considered no possibility he would drop that far.
It’s a perfect encapsulation of Dalton’s bumpy ride thus far but it’s a ride that has served him well and will continue to serve him well in the unforgiving environment of the NBA.
Dr. Rajpal Brar, DPT has a doctorate in physical therapy from Northern Arizona University, and runs his own in-person and online sports medicine and performance business, 3CB Performance, in West LA and Valencia, CA in which he further combines his movement expertise and fitness training. Prior to entering into the physiotherapy field, Brar graduated from Cal-Berkeley in Business Administration and spent multiple years in the corporate marketing and strategy field, culminating in managing his own business unit in New York City and being a direct liaison for client management.
Brar is additionally training at UCLA’s mindful awareness research center (MARC), has a background in youth basketball coaching and analyzes the Lakers from a medical, skills, and leadership/organizational culture perspective for Silver Screen and Roll and on his own YouTube Channel. You can follow him on Twitter at @3cbPerformance.