The NBA preseason is officially over for the Los Angeles Lakers, with new head coach JJ Redick getting his first taste of what it is like coaching on the professional level, from coaching superstars to bringing along rookies like Dalton Knecht and Bronny James.
Before taking on the division-rival Golden State Warriors on Friday night in the Bay Area, James hadn’t shown much promise on the offensive end of the floor, as he didn’t look comfortable nor got going in the scoring department. Fortunately, the USC product turned that around before the preseason ended with a breakout offensive performance on the road at the Chase Center.
Even though this preseason finale was forgettable, to say the least, with the Lakers losing by an eye-popping 58 points to Steve Kerr’s squad, James did score 17 points on 7-for-17 shooting to go along with four rebounds, three steals and a block.
After the game, Redick was asked about James finally getting going offensively, but he seemed more impressed with the rookie’s improved attention to detail throughout the preseason.
“I’m sure it felt good to have 17 points,” Redick said. “I’m not even remotely concerned about that. It’s not even on my radar. We’re trying to help him grow into a great basketball player. I’m sure he feels good about it, and he should. That’s important for, I think, every basketball player that’s ever touched the court to score points, but some of the other stuff, I’ve seen real improvement and some attention to detail. And I’ve seen that from all our young guys. So yeah, I’m encouraged by all of it.”
Along with being encouraged by James’ growth during the preseason, Redick also touched on how difficult it may be for the son of an NBA legend to deal with all the pressure he’s dealing with off the basketball court.
“He’s a very grounded young man who is very coachable and has a very good head on his shoulders. A couple of conversations that I’ve had with him just about what it is like to be him. And I’m sure there’s some amazing things that come with being him. There’s probably some hard things that come with being him, too. And I think he’s handled it with a lot of class and grace.
“Again, I’ve said this a number of times, he’s a pleasure to coach.”
JJ Redick Impressed Lakers Rookie Dalton Knecht’s Mentality
Dalton Knecht was impressive during the NBA preseason, as he seems to have not missed a beat after making an impression during the NBA Summer League with the Los Angeles Lakers.
However, Knecht’s 35-point explosion against the Phoenix Suns was something else, as it definitely impressed head coach JJ Redick, who sang his praises after the game, making many believe the young Tennessee Volunteers product has earned a spot in the rotation.
