Lakers fans had high hopes for Dalton Knecht’s rookie season after putting up solid performances for the Purple and Gold in the Summer League and the preseason. The Tennessee product wasn’t viewed as a high-impact rookie for the Purple and Gold, but the 23-year-old was expected to be a reliable role player who would grow into his role as the season progresses.
JJ Redick gave Knecht enough minutes to get used to the pace of the NBA for his rookie season, averaging 7.3 points, 1.8 rebounds, and 1.3 assists in 11 games. Such numbers were expected out of a player selected 17th overall in the 2024 Draft.
While these numbers aren’t eye-catching, Knecht has shown enough for the roster and the fans to feel giddy about his future with the team. As if to meet these lofty expectations, Knecht put up an incredible display against the Memphis Grizzlies, which had JJ Redick raving about his performance.
Even Davis couldn’t help but gush over his rookie.
Anthony Davis praises Dalton Knecht’s shooting ability in Lakers’ big win vs. Memphis
Harry How, Getty Images
Davis addressed the media after the Lakers 123-128 comeback win against the Memphis Grizzlies at Crypto.com Arena. The press asked him about Knecht’s shooting off the bench, and he graciously gave the Tennessee alum his flowers.
AD discussed Dalton Knecht’s strong performance, his value to the team as a stretch big, Christian Koloko, facing taller bigs like Zach Edey and Victor Wembanyama, and the mentality for the NBA Cup. pic.twitter.com/lOIxylsDd6
— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) November 14, 2024
“He stepped up. His ability to shoot the basketball propelled us, especially in the third quarter,” Davis said of Knecht. “Big shots, big-time shots. We kinda got on last game about turning down shots, passing up open shots. He’s too good of a shooter not to shoot the basketball, and he made some big shots for us tonight.”
Knecht started the game off the bench, but his red-hot shooting convinced JJ Redick to keep him on the floor for 31 minutes. He finished his stint with a career-high 19 points on seven-for-eight shooting. He was deadly efficient from beyond the arc, making all of his five three-point attempts.
While it’s uncertain when Dalton Knecht will get such a hot hand again, it’s nice for the Purple and Gold fans to see that they have a reliable shooter in the rotation who can take the heat off their stars. Lakers fans hope that this is the beginning of a long and successful career for Knecht in a Lakers jersey.
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