Just when it seemed like the Los Angeles Lakers were about to lose another preseason game, rookie Dalton Knecht put on an incredible performance to save the day. The first-year forward from the University of Tennessee tallied 35 points on 10-18 shooting from the field and 8-13 from the three-point line. The 23-year-old single-handedly carried the Purple and Gold to its second preseason victory.
The rookie has impressed
Knecht, who is averaging 18.0 points and 4.2 rebounds in 26.7 minutes per game in the last five contests, has tallied the second-most three-pointers made in the league during the preseason. According to Elias Sports , the Lakers’ 17th pick is the first rookie to score 30-plus in a preseason game since at least 1996-97. Dalton scored 13 of his 35 points in overtime to propel Los Angeles to a 10-point comeback victory.
“ It was an incredible performance,” Redick said . “ [TNT analyst] Reggie [Miller] and I were talking about it before the game, and he was like, ‘It was high praise to say he’s in the 1% of shooters’ and I’m like ‘Nah, he’s in the 1% of shooters.’ The thing about him is just the mentality. It’s been very obvious in pick-up before the season, in training camp, thus far in games. He’s got no fear. He’s not afraid of the moment. That was a show that he put on .”
The most impressive part about Knecht’s performance was not how he tallied all those stats but how he dissected and took over the game. The Tennessee product made the most of the opportunity he was given, and when the Lakers could’ve easily just mailed in a meaningless preseason game, Dalton refused to do so. The rookie scored 12 points in the fourth quarter (4-5 FGs, 3-3 from deep), including the three-pointer that sent the game to overtime.
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Can Dalton carry this over in the regular season?
Knecht’s performance may have happened during a meaningless preseason game, but at the very least, it’s a good sign for the Purple and Gold moving forward. The ideal scenario for the Lakers is for the rookie to contribute to the team instantly during the regular season. L.A. could really use a three-level scorer like him alongside Anthony Davis and LeBron James .
If Knecht turns into a gem for the Lakers, the front office will be credited with making the most of the draft picks they’ve been so bullish on keeping. It might be too early to say, but the small sample size indicates that Dalton has the potential to make a name for himself not just on the Purple and Gold but in the NBA.
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