The Los Angeles Lakers took a chance on Dalton Knecht at the 17th pick after addressing concerns about his age and interview skills. Lakers' GM Rob Pelinka ensured there were no underlying issues before drafting Knecht, emphasizing his dedication to basketball and unique personality.
The Los Angeles Lakers expected Dalton Knecht to be off the board well before their No. 17 selection in last June's draft. Teams were reportedly put off by his age at 23 and by his interviews.
During the draft, Rob Pelinka called Jeff Schwartz and spoke to Knecht's team with Excel to make sure there wasn't an underlying issue the Lakers were unaware of to account for his fall. "It was like, 'You're giving me your word?'" Pelinka told ESPN."I had to do a trust call of, 'There's no red flags, right? You're giving us your word.' And that's when it started to unfold."
"He's focused on basketball," assistant coach Gregg Polinsky said."If you think he is going to woo you with his worldly nature or talk about how he speaks three languages, think again. He doesn't care about that. DK, he's a baller, simply stated.""I guess some team asked him if he liked to read, and he told them no," Clark told ESPN.
"But that's him. Some people have met him and they're like, 'Yeah, he doesn't talk much, right?' And then people that know him are like, 'Man, that dude's funny as hell.' He's one of those guys that if he doesn't know you, he has a real guard up and his antennas are up and he's trying to feel you out to see what you're about.
Los Angeles Lakers Dalton Knecht NBA Draft Rob Pelinka Basketball
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