While Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick originally wanted to stick to a starting lineup, he has already made some significant adjustments. One of those moves involved rookie Dalton Knecht, who has impressed during his time as a starter.
Those starts happened due to injury, but it became clear that Knecht did not perform the same coming off the bench an fit better with the first group. So Redick decided to make him a full-time starter and it has proved to be the right decision so far.
When the 23-year-old gets on a heater from distance, he becomes an extremely fun player to watch. However, the rookie remains undecided on what his 3-point celebration is, despite using the shrug for multiple games now, most recently in Friday night’s loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
“No, no, no. I told Vando, because he said before I hit that, he was like we gotta come up with a celly,” Knecht said when asked if the Michael Jordan shrug will be his celebration. “I did a 3 symbol and then I just did a ‘I don’t know’ and I was looking at him the whole time. I was just like I don’t know what to do. I looked at him and he hit that too.”
Seeing how Knecht is not shy about getting shots up, it makes sense to create an original celebration. He is making those shots at a high clip too, shooting 43.9% from deep for the season and 52.1% in the last 10 games.
One can assume his thought process is going to be collaborative as he tries to find a celebration that sticks. Notably, during Dennis Schroder’s second stint with L.A., he invented the ‘freeze’ celebration that players like Austin Reaves still use today.
It is going to take time to come up with something organic, but what matters is sustaining his level of play. While there are going to be off-shooting games, Knecht is already a vital piece to the Lakers’ offense as he provides much-needed shot-making when the team is in a drought.
Dalton Knecht still confident despite garnering more attention from defenses
When Dalton Knecht fell to the Lakers at No. 17 during the 2024 NBA Draft, many acknowledged the steal that L.A. got with the former Tennessee Volunteer. He is showcasing what teams passed on even with opposing defenses now starting to scheme against him.
The next step in his career is going to be finding ways to be effective when opponents are taking away the 3-pointer. Thankfully, Knecht is not one-dimensional and expressed confidence in himself despite garnering more attention from defenses.
Have you subscribed to our YouTube channel? It’s the best way to watch player interviews, exclusive coverage from events, participate in live shows, and more!
