The Los Angeles Lakers lost their first two preseason games against the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Phoenix Suns, and according to head coach JJ Redick, incoming rookie Dalton Knecht has been one of the team’s brightest spots.
“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,” Redick said about Knecht, via The Athletic’s Jovan Buha.
“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 added.
The Los Angeles Lakers took Dalton Knecht with the No. 17 overall pick from this summer’s NBA Draft. Many analysts thought this was a steal of a pick for the Purple and Gold because of his high upside.
Dalton Knecht’s preseason debut with the Los Angeles Lakers so far
Dalton Knecht has looked solid in his first two preseason games with the Los Angeles Lakers, averaging 11.5 points in 23.5 minutes per game while coming off the bench.
The Tennessee product looked great playing alongside the Los Angeles Lakers starters, and Dalton Knecht has shown flashes of his playmaking potential on top of his sweet outside shot.
Like Bronny James, Dalton Knecht isn’t expected to log heavy minutes for the Los Angeles Lakers this upcoming season.
