Lakers rookie makes eight threes, earns praise from LeBron James

All those who tipped Dalton Knecht "the steal" of the 2024 NBA draft were vindicated on Thursday night.

The Lakers rookie scored 35 points, including 20 consecutive points in the fourth quarter and overtime, to guide his team to a 128-122 preseason victory over the Suns. The Tennessee product drained eight threes from just 13 attempts, continuing his hot streak from distance throughout the preseason.

In five games thus far, Knecht has made 18 threes for the third most in the league behind Brandon Miller and Payton Pritchard.

Knecht became the first Lakers rookie to score 30 points in a preseason game since at least the 1996-97 season. After the game, Knecht revealed that LeBron James and Anthony Davis told him "it's time" before the overtime period, urging him to "take over" and shoot the lights out.

It's obvious to onlookers and analysts that Knecht's deep-range shooting will translate to the regular season, especially given his age and experience. Unlike most rookies, Knecht enters the league as a seasoned 23-year-old who spent five years in college and gained the experience of playing in big games in the NCAA's tough SEC conference.

That's precisely why new Lakers head coach JJ Redick has been gushing at the prospect of having Knecht in his rotation, going as far as to categorize him among the top 1% shooters in the league. As noted by ESPN's Dave McMenamin, Redick and legendary sharpshooter Reggie Miller had an interesting conversation about Knecht's shooting abilities shortly before Thursday's game.

Knecht also earned praise from James, who wrote two messages on the Lakers' Instagram post highlighting the rookie's exploits.

"CANNON!!!!!!! That boy COLD!!!!" James wrote.

James has historically enjoyed playing with shooters due to his uncanny ability to penetrate, drive and dish. As such, Knecht could prove to be his most trusted weapon in his 22nd season.