In this year's NBA Draft, the Los Angeles Lakers are undoubtedly the team that everyone pays the most attention to, and the facts have proved that the Lakers really deserve so much attention. The Lakers picked up the 17th pick in the first round to take Dalton Knecht, a fifth-year wing scorer from the University of Tennessee who was previously thought to have a chance to be drafted with the first seven picks. With the 55th pick in the second round, the Lakers were even more expected, taking LeBron James' eldest son, Bronny James. It is worth mentioning that after the draft, the Lakers also signed two undrafted picks on two-way contracts, namely Blake Hinson, a six-year forward from the University of Pittsburgh, and Armel Traore, a French forward from France.
道尔顿-克内克特(Dalton Servant)
Previous team: University of Tennessee (NCAA)
Final pick: 17th pick in the first round
Date of birth: April 2001
Place of Birth: Fargo, North Dakota, USA
Position: Swingman of the Frontguard
Grade: Year 5
Barefoot height: 196.2cm
Arm span: 205.7cm
Standing touch height: 262.9cm
Weight: 96.3kg
模板：迈克-米勒（Mike Miller）、冲击力更强的马克斯-斯特鲁斯（Max Strus）
荣Honors: 2024 全美最佳阵容一阵, 2024 SEC 联盟最佳球员, 2024 SEC 联盟 Newcomer of the Year, 2024 SEC联盟最佳阵容一阵
National High School Student Rankings (Class of 2019): On3 Ranking: None (No Star), 247 Ranking: None (No Star), ESPN Ranking: None (No Star), Rivals Ranking: None (No Star)
Stats for the season: 36 appearances, 30.6 minutes per game, 21.7 points, 4.9 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 0.7 steals, 0.6 blocks, and 1.7 turnovers, shooting 45.8% from the field, 39.7% from three-point range, and 77.2% from the free throw line.
Note 1: Knecht was only a 172cm tall player in his junior season and a 185cm tall player in his senior season, which also led to him not even getting an offer from any NCAA Division I team after graduating from high school
Note 2: The favorite player is Kevin Durant, both of whom are from Rick Barnes.
Advantage:
Kneckert is a very good scorer, he has a very well-rounded scoring ability, he can use his breakthrough to score, his finishing ability is also quite good, his style of play is very strong, he dares to fight against opponents, he is also a very good outside shooter, his shooting consistency is quite good, he also has a pretty good ability to move off the ball, he is also very good at using pick-and-rolls to find space for himself, he is fully qualified to be a top shooter. As a white player, Knecket's athleticism is actually not bad, he can pull off all kinds of explosive dunks on the court, and his impact and explosiveness are actually not bad.
As a wing player, Kneckert's possession of the ball and his skills are quite good, which means he has the ability to play the role of second playmaker on the court at times. Kneckert's ability to make the right decisions on the court is also a reflection of his strength in basketball IQ and game reading. Defensively, Kneckert also has the ability to defend players in multiple positions, and his defensive ability is not particularly bad.
Inferior position:
Knecket's scoring ability and performance are largely irreproachable, and he also has some passing ability and playmaking, but if he wants to be a player at a higher level, he will need to improve further in terms of big-picture vision and ball dominance. At a higher level, it is clear that the opponent's defensive intensity will also increase dramatically, and in this case, he may also need to contribute more to the team in other ways, which can also improve his own offensive efficiency to a certain extent.
Knecket's performance on the defensive end may also be a little more worrying, as he hasn't had any particularly impressive performances on the defensive end in previous seasons, or he has focused on the offensive end, and you can't tell from his performances that he has the potential to do so on the defensive end. This season, Knecket's performance on the defensive end is not particularly bad, but in fact, we can probably see that his defensive awareness is not particularly outstanding, his defensive movement speed is not very fast, and his defensive ability is relatively average. None of this may be too much of a problem in the NCAA, but in the NBA, whether he can maintain a consistent level on the defensive end is directly related to the team's use of him. In addition, Kneckt is indeed a little older in terms of age, he is 23 years old, how much potential he still has to explore, or whether all this is worth a lotto mid-stage signing, is also a question mark.
布朗尼-詹姆斯（Bronny James）
Previous team: University of Southern California (NCAA)
Final pick: 55th pick in the second round
Date of birth: October 2004
Place of Birth: Akron, Ohio, USA
Position: Twin Guards
Grade: Freshman year
Barefoot height: 186.7cm
Arm span: 201.3cm
Standing touch height: 250.2cm
Weight: 95.4kg
模板:丹东尼-梅尔顿(De'Anthony Melton)?
National High School Rankings (Class of 2023): On3 Rank 11 (Five-Star), 247 Rank 28 (Four-Star), ESPN Rank 19 (Four-Star), Rivals Rank 25 (Four-Star)
Stats for the season: 25 appearances in total, averaging 19.4 minutes per game, averaging 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 0.8 steals, 0.2 blocks, and 1 turnover, shooting 36.6% from the field, 26.7% from three-point range, and 67.6% from the free throw line
Notes: His father is LeBron James, a forward who currently plays for the Los Angeles Lakers
Advantage:
Bronny is a two-way guard with great physical talent and athleticism. He still has a relatively comprehensive scoring ability on the offensive end, he can use the breakthrough to complete the score, and he also has a certain outside shooting ability. Bronny's off-ball movement is also not bad, he is able to find some easy scoring space on the offensive end, and he is also able to use his athleticism to complete some good space. Bronny can also use his impact and explosiveness to create some threat in the fast break. On top of that, Bronny's passing ability and playmaking skills are relatively good, and he has a good sense of the big picture and game reading skills.
Bronny's performance on the defensive end is a few notches higher than his performance on the offensive end, he has shown the potential of a defensive gatekeeper, his defensive ability and awareness are excellent, his movement speed is quite good, and he has a chance to develop into a reliable defender at the back. Bronny's defensive anticipation looks pretty good, and his steals are at a decent level. Bronny is also a very mental player, he is energetic and passionate on the field, and he is also able to make an impact on his teammates with his performances.
Inferior position:
Bronny's performance on the offensive end this season is very worrying, his shooting ability is a lot worse than everyone thinks, and his offensive efficiency can be described as very poor. Bronny is considered a two-way defender, but as a No. 1 player, he is a little lacking in both technique and fundamentals, and it is doubtful that he will be able to carry the burden of the playmaker's core; As a No. 2 player, he seems to be a little lacking in height, and on the defensive end, he may also be targeted by opponents if he encounters a wing player who is much taller than him.
Bronny's position on the court looks very vague, which will also affect everyone's judgment of his prospects. Bronny does show some potential on the defensive end, but he also lacks a certain amount of experience, his overall maturity is not particularly good, his immediacy does not look high, and it is obviously difficult for him to help the team quickly when he enters the NBA. Bronny suffered a cardiac arrest last summer and was out for some time, and while he has recovered, his fitness is a cause for concern.
布莱克-辛森（Blake Hinson）
Previous team: University of Pittsburgh (NCAA)
Final Order: Defeated
Date of birth: December 1999
Place of Birth: Daytona Beach, Florida, USA
Position: Swingman of the Frontguard
Grade: Year 6 (Red Shirt Senior)
Barefoot height: 197.5cm
Arm span: 208.9cm,
Standing touch height: 261.6cm
Weight: 109.1kg
National High School Student Rankings (Class of 2018): On3 Rank 132 (Four-Star), 247 Rank 191 (Samsung), ESPN Rank None (Four-Star), Rivals Rank 105 (Four-Star)
Stats this season: 33 appearances, 33.5 minutes per game, 18.5 points, 4.4 rebounds, 0.8 assists, 0.6 steals, 0.2 blocks, and 1.3 turnovers, shooting 45.4% from the field, 42.1% from three-point range, and 66.9% from the free throw line
Advantage:
Hinson is a strong forward with great scoring ability. Hinson has a lot of offensive tools on the offensive end, he can use the break to score, his finishing ability under the basket is quite good, and he also has excellent shooting ability and good movement ability off the ball. At times, Hinson was able to use his physical strengths to pull off some strong shots in the low post. With his current shooting performance in the NCAA, there is every reason to think that he will have a chance to continue to show his shooting ability when it comes to the NBA. Simson also has some passing ability and playmaking ability, and his role on the offensive end is relatively comprehensive. Hinson is also decent on the defensive end, his overall defensive ability is so-so, and he can also provide some support in terms of rebounding protection.
Inferior position:
Although Hinson has a three-point shooting percentage of more than 40% from beyond the three-point line, his free throw shooting percentage has been less than 70% for two consecutive seasons, which is indeed a little bit worse. Hinson's ability to control the dribble is also relatively average, and there is a question mark over whether he can continue to do so at a higher level. Hinson also has issues with his slow movement on the defensive end, and his ability to limit opponents' number three players effectively could also be a huge question mark. Hinson's biggest issue is his age, and it's unclear whether the sixer will be 25 years old shortly after the start of the regular season next season, five years or more older than the rest of his rookie in the same class.
Armel Traore / French
Previous team: ADA Blois (Ligue 1)
Final Order: Defeated
Date of birth: January 2003
Place of birth: Charonton-les-Pen, France
Position: Forward swingman
Grade: 03 International Player
Height: 203cm
Reach: 221cm,
Standing touch height: 261.6cm
Weight: 95kg
National High School Student Rankings: No ranking of international players
Stats this season: 33 appearances, 25.2 minutes per game, 10.7 points, 7.1 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 0.6 steals, 0.7 blocks, and 1.7 turnovers, shooting 54.5% from the field, 28.1% from three-point range, and 64.6% from the free throw line.
Advantage:
Traore is an extremely physically gifted and athletic striker who is arguably full of energy on the pitch and can provide some help to the team on both ends of the pitch. Traore has a good ability to move off the ball on the offensive end, he also has some breakthrough ability and basket attacking ability, and his finishing ability is not bad. On the defensive end, Traore not only has good individual defensive ability, but his rebounding ability is also worthy of recognition among players of the same position and height. Traore is full of energy on the pitch and his mental attributes can also give the players a morale boost.
Inferior position:
Traore's overall ability on the offensive end is still a little rougher, he is not a very delicate player, his basic skills are not very solid, his shooting consistency is seriously lacking, his free throw percentage is not ideal, and he also lacks sufficient dribbling skills, which also affects his performance on the court and the role he plays in the team. Traore also lacks some defensive experience on the defensive end, and he is actually playing more on his own talent, and he may need to develop over a period of time before he has a chance to reach his potential.
Summary:
The Lakers didn't make the same mistakes they made in last year's NBA Draft this year. Although they haven't tried out Knecht before, the Lakers didn't miss out on Knecht when the draft market plummeted. Considering the Lakers are a team that needs instant power, the arrival of Kneckett should inject some energy into the Lakers' second lineup. It's just that we don't know if the Lakers will add some veterans with obvious declines in ability in the same position, resulting in Kneckt's playing time being limited and his ability not being fully utilized.
Considering that it is basically a reasonable thing for the Lakers to use the second-round draft pick in their hands to acquire Bronny, and the second-round pick is relatively low, plus Bronny's own athleticism is also quite good, choosing him is not a particularly bad operation, not to mention that the value of this second-round pick itself is not high. The Lakers also signed two players in a row after the draft, one is an older rookie Sinson with high immediate strength, and the other is Traore, who is relatively rough but has great potential, which is also a relatively safe choice.