SAN FRANCISCO — Los Angeles Lakers rookie Dalton Knecht struggled to discover a rhythm for the second consecutive day within the California Traditional as L.A. fell to the Golden State Warriors 92-68 on Sunday. After ending 3-of-12 from the ground within the occasion’s first sport on Saturday, Knecht completed with 12 factors on 3-of-13 taking pictures in 22 minutes of motion the next day.
Though Knecht’s pictures weren’t falling, he did handle to get open in a wide range of methods — principally off dribble-hand-offs and curls. Via his first two summer time league video games, Knecht is simply 2-of-15 (13.3%) on jumpers.
“Simply being affected person with it,” Lakers summer time league coach Dane Johnson stated about Knecht’s struggles. “It is a lengthy summer time league. It should come. He is an important participant, so I am not fearful about him lacking a few of the pictures he is taking. He is an important shooter. Let the sport come to him. There are some [flashes] the place you see that he is received it.”
Knecht’s taking pictures struggles could possibly be so simple as simply pictures not falling. In his remaining collegiate season at Tennessee, Knecht grew to become an All-American largely attributable to his unbelievable shotmaking, en path to averaging 21.7 factors per sport. Knecht was elite on catch-and-shoot 3-pointers (42.3% per Synergy) and hit his lone shot from distance in that actual means.
“I have never performed since March,” Knecht stated. “Simply discovering my rhythm once more and maintain enjoying with these new guys and maintain adjusting. … Shooters shoot. My dad at all times instructed me the following shot goes in. Shooters shoot.”
The No. 17 total decide from the 2024 NBA Draft out of Tennessee was a consensus top-10 decide within the weeks and days main as much as the draft earlier than sliding out of the lottery on draft night time. The Lakers have but to make a roster acquisition through free company or commerce, which may open the door for Knecht to be an instantaneous contributor within the rotation for first-year head coach JJ Redick.
One other constructive growth from each of Knecht’s outings is his skill to place stress on the protection on the rim – which helped him get to the free throw line 14 instances in two video games. Knecht is 4-of-8 on pictures on the rim and the spotlight of the night time towards the Warriors was a reduce by the center of the lane for a two-hand flush with a number of defenders within the neighborhood.
The Lakers will play one remaining sport within the California Traditional towards the Miami Warmth on Wednesday earlier than departing to Las Vegas for the second-leg of summer time league.
