NEW ORLEANS — Lakers rookie Dalton Knecht, still sweaty from the career-high 27 points that helped bury the Pelicans on Saturday night, wanted a minute. His Tennessee Volunteers were driving against Georgia, and as he stared down at his phone, he asked for one more play before he began his postgame interview.
A Career-High 27 Points
Tennessee committed a penalty and was forced to punt, an opportunity squandered.
Confidence Boost
Despite being an all-American at the university a year ago, Knecht couldn’t relate. Because when he’s gotten chances, like the one in front of him with the Lakers, he doesn’t move backward.
After Knecht put his phone down, he talked about the confidence the Lakers have in him, about how, after drafting him 17th, they’ve empowered him to let it fly, with coach JJ Redick drawing up specific plays for Knecht to shoot.
A Coach’s Confidence
“It’s always good to have a coach like that, that’s super confident in you, always wanting you to shoot the ball,” Knecht said. “So when I go out there and I do shoot some crazy shots or something that I shouldn’t be shooting, it’s always good that JJ will have my back.”
A Mindset of Confidence
Despite the greenest possible light, at least one of his 93 NBA field-goal attempts have had to cross Knecht’s “crazy or something like that” threshold, right?
“No, not at all,” he said with a grin. “I think every time I shoot the ball, I think it’s a great shot.”
The Lakers’ Draft Pick
In Redick’s first official act as Lakers head coach, the team prepped for the NBA draft, a group of players including Tristan Da Silva and Yves Missi the likely targets for the Lakers, according to people with knowledge of the plans.
Yet Knecht, projected by some to be taken inside the top five, found himself in a draft-night freefall. Concerns about his age (he’s 23) and his ability to execute NBA defensive concepts were pushing him down the board and, suddenly, right into the Lakers’ laps.
A Perfect Fit
One year after passing on the draft’s big slider, Cam Whitmore, and on an established veteran like Jaime Jaquez Jr., the Lakers didn’t make the same mistake twice — grabbing the scorer even if the Lakers hadn’t actually done any extensive homework on him as a prospect.
The Future of the Lakers
Over the last three games, Knecht has emerged as an X factor for the Lakers, the type of rookie weapon teams don’t normally draft midway through the first round.
A Conclusion
Thirteen games into his NBA career, Knecht has showed that — and there’s time to show a lot more.
FAQs
Q: What is Dalton Knecht’s career-high points in a game?
A: 27 points, achieved in a game against the Pelicans on Saturday night.
Q: Who is Dalton Knecht’s coach?
A: JJ Redick, the Lakers’ head coach.
Q: What is Dalton Knecht’s age?
A: 23 years old.
Q: What is Dalton Knecht’s position?
A: Shooting guard.
Q: What is Dalton Knecht’s draft position?
A: 17th overall pick in the NBA draft.
