If you’re not familiar with Zach Edey or didn't read (!) our article about NBA draft hopefuls, you have no excuse now after this past weekend’s slugfest between Tennessee and Purdue. Edey dropped a whopping 40 piece on Tennessee, and if you watched the game, it was obvious that Tennessee had no defensive solution against him. And if you were really paying attention, you might've picked up on the fact that Edey drew a mindblowing sixteen fouls and only committed one- though to be honest, the refs probably could have called 30 fouls. Unlike some other people we could name that are headed to the Final Four (cough, NC State’s DJ Burns Jr., whom Edey will be hanging out with on Saturday), he didn't have to move or force guys out of his way to bring on this many offensive fouls. He just sat posted up under the hoop, got a lob, and made the basket. Every. Single. Time. AND, except for like 34 seconds during the entire 40 minutes, Edey looked fresh and rejuvenated down to the final buzzer, which was an improvement over his conditioning last year and is proving to be a blight to bigger players.
On three point misses, Edey had sixteen rebounds clearing the glass, and on defense, he effectively boxed out defenders and stayed picking up all the loose luggage. A man of his size (7’4” last we checked) is not ::supposed:: to be able to shoot above 80% at the free throw line. And yet, he out there, doing his thing, making it look like stealing candy from a baby. Most strategies, especially late in games, try to keep the ball in a guard’s hands to increase the likelihood of hitting free throws when an opponent tries to stop the clock and change possession. But being a center with his particular skill set- this alone will keep him on the NBA floor longer than most "typical bigs.”
So what about Daniel Knecht? Both he and Tennessee, and Knecht proved worthy adversaries to Purdue. Even though they were dramatically knocked out during the Elite Eight, they stood their ground to the very end with Knecht really rising to the occasion under intense pressure, and in my mind, his performance solidified his NBA lottery pick status. Knecht finished with 37 points and was willing the Vols forward until the very last seconds of the game when Edey poetically blocked him on the final drive. At 6’6”, Knecht demonstrated prowess in almost every facet of the offense. Tennessee’s coach Rick Barnes worked to put him at the forefront of their offensive attacks by posting screens and sometimes double screens just to get the ball in his hands, and as a result, Knecht tossed in six of twelve from down-town.
To most modern day NBA scouts, a good three ball is all you need to raise eyebrows, but Knecht proved he could handle the ball in a half court offense. When defenders crept up on him, he showed that he’s got the speed and ability to blow by them- AND he possesses the skill to finish at the rim, even through a 7'4” Edey! At clutch time, Knecht came close to completely transforming into a point forward and becoming the main ball carrier as he charged down the court, slowly allowing the game to come to him, making the right reads on double teams, and consistently taking solid shots.
Where scouts have been worried is Knecht’s defense and his movement. To their credit, Tennessee somewhat blended him on defense, but if we're being honest, a 6'6” Knecht shouldn't be tasked with guarding a 7'4” Edey anyways, who we already established was the towering focal point of Purdue’s offense. Undoubtedly, Tennessee was coached defensively to straight pile on Edey in an attempt to neutralize him with three defenders swarmed him every time he had the ball. When the ball wasn't in Edey's hands, Knecht held his own and effectively pressured Purdue’s guards, jumped a few passes, and most significantly, exploited an impressive facet of his offensive ability, and that's his full speed transitions into attacks off of turnovers. Knecht finished almost every ball he got off a turnover, holding on to it until the last moment, making the proper pass to a trailing player, or finishing off the rush at full speed (which is much harder than it looks).
Even though Knecht’s a little older than most draft pick hopefuls, he is an ideal modern NBA offensive catalyst and can fit in with a lot of the NBA teams right now. While he’s not your stereotypical 3 and D guy, Knecht really has the chops to succeed at the next level: enough offense to keep him on the floor and enough size and athleticism to not be a net-negative on defense.
Both Edey and Knecht pretty much solidified themselves as lottery draft picks for NBA teams, but their complete relevance in our fantasy leagues is going to be determined by their landing spots and the team dynamics of whoever ends up drafting them. While Knecht is out of the running, we here at One Team at a Time are just biding our time until we can see what kind of damage Edey can inflict on D.J. Burns in the upcoming Final Four game against NC State. So! Stay tuned for more of One Team at a Time’s March Madness analyses and our upcoming NBA draft coverage, check out our subscription offerings, and follow along with our social media for more news, fantasy advice, and player breakdowns.
Check out this Knecht highlight reel on Twitter.
And this one of Zach Edey on Youtube.
Edey vs. Knecht Photo Credit: Cole Moore / The Daily Beacon
Edey Photo Credit: AP Photo/Michael Conroy
Edey Photo Credit: AP Photo/Paul Sancya/Associated Press
Knecht Photo Credit: Dan Harralson
Knecht Photo Credit: University of Tennessee Sports
Knecht Photo Credit: Hannah Mattix/News Sentinel
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