The Los Angeles Lakers made minimal roster changes this summer, with their biggest additions being rookie Dalton Knecht and new head coach JJ Redick. The two new faces in the Lakers locker room are getting along, with coach Redick advocating for Knecht as a rookie contributor on the franchise hoping to be competitive this season and praising the rookie after team practices for his strong play to start preseason.
“He really competed on the defensive end. And I talked with him about this, that’s all I’m asking him to do. If he’s gonna play on this team and play minutes and be in the rotation this year, he knows this, he’s gotta compete defensively.”
“He’s been fantastic. He’s got a heater. I told him after, his competitiveness today was really high. He didn’t get down on himself about missing shots. He was super engaged, and it really showed in the last conditioning transition drill where he was challenged to be the rabbit, and that competitive nature came out.”
The Lakers have lost both their preseason games so far, first losing to the Minnesota Timberwolves 107-124 in a game where most Lakers stars were on the bench before losing to the Phoenix Suns 114-118 as the Lakers blew a lead but looked great when starters such as LeBron James and Anthony Davis were playing.
Knecht has looked solid himself, averaging 11.5 points in 23.5 minutes per game so far. He put up 16 points against the Wolves before putting up seven points against the Suns, showing that his production could fluctuate in his rookie season.
The 23-year-old rookie isn't expected to start but his shooting prowess will be relied upon when he comes off the bench, potentially thriving in lineups next to the team's two superstars due to their offensive gravity opening up more space for Knecht to hit big shots.
Lakers Believe Dalton Knecht Was A Massive Steal In The Draft
The Lakers were ecstatic when they got to draft Knecht with the No. 17 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, with GM Rob Pelinka revealing the franchise thought he'd be a top-10 lock due to his playing ability.
“We would've never imagined a player as skilled and sort of perfect for our needs would be there for us as Dalton Knecht. We had him as a top-10 player unanimously atop our scouting boards,"
Head coach JJ Redick has openly praised Knecht and called him a top 1% shooter in the NBA already.
“Dalton Knecht, to me, I told him this the other day, he is in the 1% of shooters. He’s in the 1%. He has a skill that is just hard to find,” Redick said. “He’s going to have a chance to earn a spot in the rotation.”
Dalton had an explosive final season in college basketball, averaging 21.7 points per game while shooting 39.7% from three. The franchise is backing him to be successful, so all he needs to do is live up to his potential and establish himself as a star.
