The Los Angeles Lakers appear to have benefited from other teams’ bias in favor of former NBA draft prospects.

The Lakers managed to nab Dalton Knecht with the 17th pick in the 2024 NBA Draft and he flourished early alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Brian Windhorst of ESPN reported that the 23-year-old’s age when he entered the draft has discouraged some teams and that the Lakers have identified his skillset and are reaping the benefits.

Scouts are skeptical of three-year college players, turned off by almost all four-year college players and generally criticize the notebook at the mere idea of ​​drafting a five-year college player like Knecht. Teams are drafting high and 23-year-olds don’t fit together, which is why scouts have lowered Knecht on their draft boards. But the Lakers saw some impressive measurable results in the draft: a 6-foot-9 wingspan, a 39-inch vertical and the fastest shuttle run on the court. As one longtime talent evaluator pointed out: Knecht led the SEC in scoring last season, and the list of players who did that – Pete Maravich, Bernard King, Shaquille O’Neal and Dominique Wilkins, among them – should have earned him more respect on draft night.

ESPN’s Tim Bontemps expanded on this point and said that Knecht fits very well in a complementary role with James and could be a major impact player as a rookie.

For nearly two decades, one of the best positions as a player in the NBA was jump shooter alongside LeBron James. Knecht has settled into this role for the Lakers. And for a team that was hungry for scoring outside of James, Anthony Davis, Austin Reaves and D’Angelo Russell the past two seasons, Knecht has a chance to make a real impact as a rookie.

An NBA scout also revealed to Bontemps that an older player with true NBA trait can be successful.

“He’s proof that it can work, provided they have certain skills in the NBA,” one scout told Bontemps. “He has one in his shot, and the shot is everything.”

Knecht is averaging 11.7 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 15 games with Los Angeles in 2024-25. But what’s more notable is the fact that he reached double figures in five straight games and scored 37 points on November 19 against the Utah Jazz.

His improvement has helped Los Angeles start the season 10-5 and the team currently sits in fourth place in the Western Conference. While his current pace may be difficult to maintain, his improvement shows how well he fits into the Lakers’ system and shows that a team with a clear need shouldn’t be afraid of an older prospect.