The Los Angeles Lakers have outdone themselves once again, scoring on yet another non-lottery draft pick.
Dalton Knecht, the No. 17 pick in the 2024 NBA draft, has emerged as one of the best rookies in the class after his masterful shooting performance Tuesday night against the Utah Jazz.
In the Lakers second group play game in the NBA Cup, Knecht tied a rookie record, knocking down nine three-pointers en route to a career-high 37 points as he led the Purple and Gold to a 124-118 victory.
“I just caught fire and kept letting that thing fly,” Knecht said after his historic performance. “I just found my groove. That’s probably one of the best hot streaks I’ve been on. [I feel like] right when I step across half-court, when I get the ball, it’s going in.”
Knecht told reports that he realized he was in a “flow state” after “the first shot”.
Los Angeles Lakers Found A Gem In Dalton Knecht
The 23-year-old sniper started the game shooting 2-3 from three before catching fire from deep in the third quarter. He scored 21 to start the second half, lacing all his six shots from beyond the arc to aid a 40-point Lakers quarter.
Knecht’s 37-point outing sets a new rookie scoring record this season and is now the fifth rookie in Lakers history to reach that mark. Additionally, his 14 three-pointers over his last two games are the most by a rookie in NBA history.
The Lakers were in desperate need of perimeter scoring and the addition of Knecht has been everything general manager Rob Pelinka has been seeking for the past few seasons.
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On the year, Dalton Knecht is averaging 11.3 points per game on a 46.4 percent clip from three. However, in games where the rook plays a minimum of 20 minutes, his averages boost up to 21.6 points per game on 52 percent shooting from three-point range.
The biggest successor from Knecht’s deadeye shooting ability, is none other than the great playmaker of all time, LeBron James. Everywhere the King has played, he has always had a three-point shooter to whom he can confidently dish the ball to, but the Lakers have struggled to keep one around for him. Now that Knecht has touched down in Los Angeles, James can rely on lethal outside shooting.
James has always praised his rookie forward and has been Knecht’s biggest advocate. After Tuesday night’s win, James shared his thoughts on the Lakers landing Knecht in the draft.
“[The Lakers] didn’t find [Knecht], the other 16 teams f—ed it up,” James said. “Did anyone watch him? What the f—k? Sh—t. [The Lakers] just didn’t f—k it up.”
Despite playing with All-NBA talent for the majority of his career, James has never had a rookie teammate score 20 points in back-to-back games until last night. If he continues at this pace, Knecht will undoubtedly be the frontrunner to win Rookie of the Year.
Nonetheless, the Los Angeles Lakers will look to ride their rookie’s hot hand and extend their six-game winning streak Thursday against the Orlando Magic.