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LA Lakers coach JJ Redick believes rookie Dalton Knecht could break into the rotation in the upcoming season. The guard is coming off an impressive Summer League season, finishing fifth in scoring, and led the rookies' list, averaging a healthy 21.3 points per contest.
The 23-year-old has been spotted putting in the work at the Lakers facility this offseason, and Redick backed his ward to have a good season ahead. Speaking to ESPN and NBA insider Zach Lowe on his The Lowe Post podcast, the former NBA sharpshooter weighed in on Knecht and his skillset.
"Dalton Knecht, to me, I told him this the other day, he is in the 1% of shooters. He’s in the 1%. He has a skill that is just hard to find. He’s gonna have a chance to earn a spot in the rotation."
Knecht was an offensive powerhouse during his time with the University of Tennessee. His numbers in the Summer League may not be the same when he takes the floor in an NBA game. He has shown that he can attack off the dribble and aggressive finishing at the rim – both attributes the Lakers could use along with his decent 3-point shooting.
With JJ Redick also noting that he wanted LA to up the ante on their downtown shooting, the onus falls on whether Knecht can be one of the players to help increase the efficiency along with the likes of D'Angelo Russell, LeBron James, and Austin Reaves.
"You have to be a two-way player to make an impact": JJ Redick on how Dalton Knecht had to improve ahead of new season
JJ Redick was asked about Dalton Knecht's abilities and the areas he can improve. The coach said that the 17th overall pick of this year's draft class should work on getting his defense a notch above (per Yahoo! Sports):
“So it’s the other parts of his game. The defense. The rebounding. The passing. Just the feel of the game that I have also been impressed with… Obviously, we know in the NBA you have to be a two-way player to make an impact, and defensively he’s got to improve like any rookie.”
Defense was one of the major concerns expressed by scouts when profiling Knecht, but JJ Redick and the rest of the Lakers unit sound optimistic about his impact and eventual development into a solid two-way player.
Only time will tell if the rookie would be a vital cog in the LA setup during the 2024-25 season.
