This year, the Utah Jazz will need to select a significant player in the draft. Someone who can help this team become legitimate postseason contenders and who won’t have to play the better part of the season in the G-League. They must assist, but they do not have to do it by themselves.
Many names have been brought up, and Dalton Knecht, the Tennessee senior, is another that we’ve heard people mention. Knecht is 23 years old. While some people consider it old, others don’t mind as long as he has an instant impact.
His ability to score at the hoop, from three, and from mid-range makes him a three-level scorer. However, his offensive scoring potential has been cited by many as his greatest asset. In his consecutive 20-point seasons, he shot nearly 40% from three versus SEC opponents while playing with good efficiency.
Although NBA defenses will be more difficult to handle and most players’ play will likely decline when they go from college to the NBA, Knecht should still be a reliable scoring option.
This is perhaps the reason why in their 2024 NBA Mock Draft, our sister site Piston Powered had Knecht selected by the Jazz at third overall. What made Knecht their choice for the Jazz, then?
..This season, the Jazz were 22nd in 3-point percentage, and Knecht seems like a player who can score quickly. Knecht would force Markkanen to the four, giving the Jazz, who already have youthful big men and a potent backcourt, more shooting and room to maneuver.”
They acknowledge that Knecht is pushing it to go at three, but I’ve never bought into that line of thinking. When you have the possibility to acquire the guy of your dreams, you seize it. If he is ranked 18th and you have the third pick in the draft, and you believe he is the best player, you take him.
However, there is one point made in the article that we disagree with. Given the youth of the guards and their prominent positions, they propose Knecht. It doesn’t matter, though, because the Jazz’s youth haven’t yet equaled talent or success. Therefore, it makes no sense to pass on selecting a point guard, shooting guard, power forward, or center because the Jazz already have players that fit the bill for those positions.
Knecht is a player we’d get along well with, but we’d also get along well with other guys.