Last year’s first-round pick Dalton Knecht has had a bit of an up-and-down run so far in his young career with the Los Angeles Lakers. The guard has had some outstanding performances, but has also had times when he has been out of the rotation, primarily due to his struggles on the defensive end.
This season has been more of the same as Knecht has had a couple of strong outings, but recently has found himself outside of head coach JJ Redick’s rotation. In order to keep him ready and get him some on-court reps, the Lakers recently sent him down to the G League affiliate South Bay Lakers. And in his first ever contest in the G League, he immediately showed that he has plenty to offer.
Knecht was outstanding in his G League debut, knocking down six 3-pointers and finishing with 30 points, five rebounds, two assists and two steals in South Bay’s victory over the San Diego Clippers, via NBA G League:
30 PTS 🔥 5 REB 🔥 6 3PM 🔥 59% FG
Dalton Knecht SHINES in his G League debut ⭐️ dropping 30PTS for the @SouthBayLakers with 6 3PM and knocking down 59% from the field 👌 pic.twitter.com/4vX1Swkrsj
— NBA G League (@nbagleague) December 17, 2025
If there is one thing that Knecht has proven it is that he can get buckets at the NBA level. Whether it is from deep, the midrange, or finishing in the paint, Knecht can flat out put the ball in the basket. It is the development of his other skills that will determine what kind of career he has in the NBA.
Knecht wasn’t alone in leading South Bay to victory as two-way guard Nick Smith Jr. knocked down four 3-pointers of his own to finish with 20 points and the Lakers’ latest two-way signing, big man Drew Timme, finished with 14 points, six rebounds and six assists. Second-round pick Adou Thiero was also solid as he contributed 14 points, seven rebounds and two steals.
Hopefully, this will provide a bit of a confidence boost for Knecht and show that he is undoubtedly above the G League level and possibly give the Lakers roster a scoring spark off the bench that the team could use.
Lakers’ Jarred Vanderbilt stayed ready for his next opportunity
Dalton Knecht could do well to follow the lead of veteran forward Jarred Vanderbilt, who found himself outside the rotation before JJ Redick turned to him in the Lakers’ victory over the Phoenix Suns. And Vanderbilt made it clear that he always knew his chance would come and that he just had to stay ready when it did.
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