Summer League couldn’t have gone any poorer for Los Angeles Lakers guard Dalton Knecht as he largely struggled shooting the basketball.
The Lakers and the fans were certainly hoping to see more from Knecht as most second-year players take a leap in Summer League play. However, that wasn’t the case for the 24-year-old who shot so bad from the field that it looked like he actually regressed as a player.
Ahead of Lakers Media Day, head coach JJ Redick explained that Knecht had done too much training in the offseason and by Summer League had already burnt himself out. Knecht was said to be doing three-a-day trainings, so that kind of workload can take a toll on a player.
Fortunately, Knecht started to show signs of life from the field as he nailed a few jumpers in the Lakers’ most recent preseason game against the Golden State Warriors. After the game, he said he’s finally starting to get his legs back underneath him, via Spectrum SportsNet:
“It felt good. Just starting to get my legs underneath and then just keep going out there and hooping and be in my spots.”
Knecht played 34 minutes off the bench against the Warriors and was the Lakers’ second-leading scorer, dropping 12 points to go along with six rebounds, three assists and one block. While Knecht only shot 3-of-11 from the field and 2-of-7 from beyond the 3-point line, he looked much more in rhythm on the floor.
As a young player, Knecht will have plenty of ups and downs that he’ll need to work through but it does seem like he might finally be turning a corner. It’s hard to see where Knecht gets minutes to open the 2025-26 season, but that doesn’t exclude him from being called upon at some point during the year.
The Lakers have four more preseason games remaining, giving Knecht ample time to show Redick and the rest of the organization that he’s worthy of a larger role in the rotation. As one of the best shooters on the team, there will always be a need for someone like Knecht but he’s got to earn his minutes first.
Dalton Knecht using Summer League burn out as learning experience
Dalton Knecht understood better than anyone that his Summer League performance was not up to the Lakers’ standard. While working out diligently over the offseason is admirable, Knecht admitted he’s using his burn out as a learning experience to avoid it happening again.
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!
