Former Tennessee star Dalton Knecht is already drawing the praise of former NBA players.
On the latest episode of the To The Baha podcast, former NBA players Theo Pinson and Raymond Felton took a crack at the NBA Draft last week in New York. When asked who he believed the steal of the draft was, Pinson didn’t hesitate with his answer.
“The steal of the draft? Lakers, Knecht,” Pinson said on the show. “From Tennessee. He’s a bucket! I would’ve taken him first pick but you know how everybody else is. Ah, he’s too old. All this sh*t. He’s the best player in the draft!”
One man’s slide is another team’s steal, which was certainly true in the case of Dalton Knecht. With rumors circulating of Knecht’s 23-year-old age being a disadvantage around the first ten picks, it looked likely that Knecht could be the potential slide of the draft. But as Rick Barnes said after the draft, it’s not about when you go but about where you go.
Knecht found his spot with the Los Angeles Lakers, a franchise desperately looking for the winning pieces to take aim at a championship in Lebron James’ final few seasons. The Lakers weren’t necessarily looking for a teenage developmental piece – which they found in the second round with Bronny James anyway – but instead can benefit more from a mature, veteran player with the experience overcoming obstacles that Knecht has.
“He’s too old?” Felton questioned of the NBA scouts and teams. “Who cares! He’s going to come in right away, ready to play. He can play right now. [The] stuff I’ve seen him do this year, he can play right now.”
More from RTI: Dalton Knecht Set For NBA Action in California Classic and NBA Summer League
Pinson and Felton have a combined 1,098 games played in the NBA as two veterans of the league. Felton was a journeyman in the league with seven different teams while Pinson played five seasons with the Nets, the Knicks, and the Mavericks
“Listen, he’s a dawg, man,” Pinson said of Knecht. “He can play. And he got bounce! He’ll punch on you, too.”
The duo addressed the age conversation and shut it down early in the clip. Pinson then took aim at the other negative that had been spinning around Knecht’s name before and during the draft – his defense.
“Then they’re talking about if he can guard,” Pinson said with a laugh. “I’m like, ‘Bruh. Who can guard?'”
Dalton Knecht will make his NBA Summer League debut during the California Classic on Saturday afternoon in San Francisco. Knecht and the Lakers will take on the Sacramento Kings at 4:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.
Check out the full episode of To The Baha by clicking here. Check out the clip of the Dalton Knecht conversation below.
Was Dalton Knecht the biggest steal in the draft?
(Via: To The Baha) pic.twitter.com/viPIaZzfMl
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