Training camp has kicked off for the Los Angeles Lakers and their preseason schedule gets under way this weekend. As head coach JJ Redick looks to put together his rotation, one name in the mix is rookie Dalton Knecht.
Knecht fell to the Lakers at pick No. 17 in the 2024 NBA Draft as they were able to add someone who was a proven shooter and scorer during his time at Tennessee. Knecht slipped because he is an older player at 23-years-old, but that means he can potentially become a rotation piece and provide spacing with his consistent 3-point shooting right away for L.A.
Despite Knecht possessing upside, he will need to prove himself quickly as the Lakers do not have a grace period to figure things out in a competitive Western Conference.
So if Knecht is gonna earn a rotation spot then he will have to show the coaching staff what he is capable of right away. At the Lakers’ annual Media Day, he discussed what Redick told him he will need to do to see the floor.
“Yeah, for sure. [JJ Redick] said just kind of be yourself, just always go out there and compete and be better than you were yesterday is really all,” Knecht said. “Just go out there and compete at a high level and learn from all the vets and obviously I’ll learn from JJ as well.”
Assuming this Lakers team becomes whole whenever Jarred Vanderbilt and Christian Wood return, Knecht could fall out of the rotation. However, there is an opportunity for him to fill in for Vanderbilt in the meantime.
After the team’s first practice on Tuesday, Redick revealed that he sees himself running a nine-man rotation. Some names fighting for that ninth spot are Cam Reddish and Jalen Hood-Schifino along with Knecht. It is safe to assume Redick is going to use training camp and preseason games to decide on that final rotation spot.
With LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Austin Reaves and D’Angelo Russell handling the ball, Knecht is going to be utilized as a movement shooter and needs to thrive in that role if he wants to see minutes this season.
Dalton Knecht has put on muscle this summer
While there is no denying Dalton Knecht’s offensive talent, there is room for improvement on the other end of the floor. Coming out of Summer League, it became evident that he needed to get stronger to hang against the NBA’s physical play.
Now with preseason festivities underway, it appears that Knecht did indeed put on some muscle since last playing in July.
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