Dalton Knecht played 21 minutes off the bench for the Los Angeles Lakers in their 111-97 loss to the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday night. He finished five points shy of a game-high with 19 points, but was an inefficient 6-for-15 from the field and 5-for-13 from beyond the arc.
This has been a theme thus far for Knecht in preseason. He has, in great news, been unafraid to shoot the ball. His teammates, including LeBron James, have given him the ultimate vote of confidence. But through four games he is shooting 21-for-54 from the field (38.9%) and 10-of-37 (27.0%) beyond the arc.
Shooting numbers are going to ebb and flow over the course of a season, especially for a rookie. And that is why Knecht is not concerned about the early percentage struggles as long as the shot quality is strong.
“I thought all of my shots were great looks, no matter [the result]. I know all of my teammates trust me to shoot it, so it’s just finding my rhythm, shooting, and that’s it.”
Knecht is not spending any time worrying about percentages while he’s out on the floor, as he still has to prove that he can be a multi-faceted player at the NBA level.
“I’m just going out there and competing and trying to play as well as I can in my role. Just going out there and competing with all my teammates and trying to get rebounds and hit some shots.”
It’s not just the players that have given him a green light to be aggressive as head coach JJ Redick and his staff told Knecht from day one that they expect that of him.
“Yeah, for sure. When I was on the phone with them on draft night, they told me that no matter what they’re super excited that they got me and they want me to be aggressive and just play how I did at Tennessee, just always be super aggressive to find my shot, drive the ball and try to make a layup or the right play, kick it out for 3 or shoot a 3. Just be you and be confident out there.”
And in echoing the sentiments of several other Lakers players, the 1-3 record in the preseason comes down largely to converting on opportunities, not necessarily poor play.
“I think we’re just playing how JJ wants, we just got to hit the shots that we shoot. We’re getting really good looks so we’re gonna keep shooting them. Just need to find our rhythm throughout preseason, that’s what preseason is for, to find your rhythm for the regular season.”
The Lakers are going to need Knecht to remain aggressive in the regular season, as his shooting should be a massive benefit. He is one of the few changes from last year’s rotation to this one, and being a difference-maker in Year 1 is what L.A. drafted him to do.
JJ Redick believes Dalton Knecht is ready
Dalton Knecht is a 3-point sharpshooter that can move without the ball and has good size for his position. He still has some things to work on, like staying within a scheme defensively and some decision-making with the ball in his hands, but that should all come with time.
One person who isn’t concerned at all is JJ Redick. In fact, the Lakers head coach seems ready to make Knecht a full-time part of the rotation already after only a few preseason games and some practices.
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