LeBron James sends sharp warning to half of the NBA after record performance by former Tennessee Vol Dalton Knecht
It was a tough situation back in June during the NBA Draft for former Tennessee Vol All-American Dalton Knecht. The talented scorer was projected almost universally as a top ten pick. Instead, Knecht slid out of the lottery altogether. However, the other 14 teams' losses (some picked twice) were the Los Angeles Lakers' gain with […]
It was a tough situation back in June during the NBA Draft for former Tennessee Vol All-American Dalton Knecht. The talented scorer was projected almost universally as a top ten pick. Instead, Knecht slid out of the lottery altogether.
However, the other 14 teams' losses (some picked twice) were the Los Angeles Lakers' gain with the 17th overall pick, and LeBron James has a message for all of them after Knecht's 37-point effort on Tuesday in the Lakers' 124-118 win over the Utah Jazz: they f—ed up.
Knecht dropped in 9 three pointers – matching an NBA rookie record – on the way to a game-high 37 points (12-16, 9-12 from three) with 5 rebounds and a steal. The 37 points is also the most points scored by an NBA rookie in 2024.
After the game, James had some strong words for the teams that passed on Knecht in the draft. (language warning)
"They didn't find DK," James said. "The other 16 teams f—ed it up. Did anybody watch him? S—. They just didn't f— it up."
James is right here, particularly given how much Knecht's 2023-24 performance screamed "pick me" at all 30 teams. The SEC player of the year and consensus first-team All-American has what teams typically drool over and prioritize: putting the ball in the basket from all over the floor.
However, despite falling in lap after lap throughout the draft lottery, teams kept pushing him away and into the lap of the next team. Rumblings about concerns about his age popped up, with teams allegedly opting for younger talent.
It's truly odd why teams would choose to take on players who need time to physically develop as well as learn the game. Knecht came ready made in both of those areas, especially on the offensive end of the floor.
Now, the Lakers are primed to take advantage of that flawed drafting strategy by a big chunk of the league. And they have no one to blame but themselves. After all, as James indicated, Knecht was right there in front of their faces all along.
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