Heading into his sophomore season, Dalton Knecht was a player to keep an eye on for the Los Angeles Lakers during Summer League as teams expect second-year players to show considerable development.
However, Knecht struggled in his first two games at the California Classic, causing some concern as his shot was not falling at the rate it normally does.
Knecht shot a combined 5-for-20 from the field against the Golden State Warriors and Miami Heat, but he was able to bounce back with a 25-point and eight-rebound performance against the San Antonio Spurs before heading to Las Vegas. Despite his shots not falling, Knecht is not concerned and said after the Lakers’ Las Vegas Summer League opener that he is feeling more comfortable this time around compared to last year.
“Last year was a lot more nerve-wracking, first time ever being on an NBA court in front of the NBA environment,” he said. “It’s a lot more relaxed and I feel more comfortable out there (this year). I feel like that’s something me and Bronny always said to each other the whole entire time. We feel more comfortable out there.”
Admittedly, wins and losses do not matter this time of year, but signs of development do. Putting up points comes naturally for Knecht, but it is doing the little things like becoming a better defender and rebounder that he is focused on.
“Just staying aggressive and playing aggressive defense and grabbing rebounds,” Knecht said. “Just trying to be an overall leader, during timeouts try to talk and be a vocal leader.”
In his rookie season with the Lakers, the former Tennessee Volunteer produced scoring outbursts that impacted winning. However, head coach JJ Redick could not rely on him for longer stints due to his defensive concerns.
At 6’6″ and 215 pounds, Knecht possesses a frame that should be able to defend at a respectable level. But his defensive IQ has yet to develop and he lacks the lateral speed to contain matchups.
Ultimately, he does not need to become an All-NBA defender but Knecht needs to play well in Redick’s defensive system to earn minutes. With a few Summer League games left, the hope is he shows strides in other areas of his game outside of scoring.
Dalton Knecht details offseason conversations with JJ Redick
When hired by the Lakers, head coach JJ Redick emphasized wanting to develop talent in-house. Dalton Knecht is an early test subject of that and as he begins his second season needing to build on other areas of his game to become a consistent rotational piece for L.A.
As a competitor, Knecht wants to be on the floor and he needs to provide what Redick is looking for to get out there. It looks like both parties are in close communication, as Knecht revealed the conversations he has had with Redick so far this offseason.
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