Dalton Knecht lost his place in the rotation due to his defense, but he showed enough athletic tools to be optimistic about his potential.
As the NBA released its All-Rookie teams for this season, Lakers rookie Dalton Knecht was nowhere to be found.
Knecht, in bursts throughout the season, displayed the offensive potential he was drafted for — an athletic scorer and shooter who can get hot from the outside — but lost minutes because of his defense, a place where he will need significant improvements next season.
In 78 games, Knecht averaged 9.1 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 37.6% on 3-pointers. He experienced the highest of highs, with a 37-point performance in a win against the Utah Jazz at home and earned multiple starts early in the year.
At the same time, it was followed by some of the lowest of lows, including a massive shooting slump in December where he shot 15% from downtown. He was eventually traded to Charlotte near the deadline, but the deal was later rescinded.
In a competitive Western Conference, the battle for playoff seeding intensified down the stretch. As the significance of each game increased, Knecht’s minutes declined. By the playoffs, he was entirely out of head coach JJ Redick’s rotation.
Listed at 6’6” with a 6’9” wingspan, Knecht has good size and athletic tools. He showcased these measurables on the defensive end in limited spots, particularly in flying in for defensive rebounds and timely blocks.
Notice in the clip below as he gets beat off the bounce by Tyler Herro, but recovers to block the shot off the backboard.
North-South speed was never the issue. He leveraged these tools effectively in running for easy baskets on offense. According to the NBA’s tracking data, Knecht scored 1.23 points per possession in transition, putting him in the 72nd percentile league-wide.
Defensively, issues arose initially from his lateral quickness and strength as he was consistently hunted in the half-court. His defensive stance was too upright, putting him off balance with even the slightest shift of an offensive player.
Against the Pelicans, watch below where he’s unable to react in time to a ball screen. He jumps to recover but is out of position, giving Brandon Boston an easy driving lane to the basket.
As with many offensive first players who come into the league, the defensive technique was poor. This is demonstrated again late in a game against Jamal Murray.
Murray hit Knecht with one crossover and completely removed him from the play altogether, a common theme throughout the season as Knecht’s feet looked glued to the ground during certain defensive isolations.
According to the NBA’s tracking data, Knecht surrendered 1.04 points per possession in isolation, placing him in the 25th percentile league-wide and fourth-worst on the team.
Another area of improvement, like most rookies, is strength. Players often went right through him on their way to the basket. Watch below as Christian Braun catches the ball on the wing and drives directly to the rim unimpeded.
Mixed with all these issues are the needed improvements in basketball IQ and focus. Young players are known to ball-watch and Knecht certainly was not immune. Watch below as he stands in no man’s land, neither in a real position to help nor recover to his man, conceding a wide-open corner three.
All of these defensive issues can be fixed, but they do require necessary attention. These playoffs are showing that having multiple below-average defenders who can be hunted isn’t feasible for a successful rotation.
Being a flamethrower will always keep you in the league, but being allowed to show it will be dictated by whether you can survive on defense. Knecht will need to show significant improvements on that end and should have the athletic tools to do it.
You can follow Raj on Twitter at @RajChipalu.