Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick does not lack any confidence in the supreme talent that his incoming rookie small forward Dalton Knecht has. He made a striking proclamation about just how good he is compared to the NBA’s pros who he has yet to face off against.
Lakers head coach JJ Redick gives major praise to rookie Dalton Knecht
As a recent guest on ESPN’s “The Lowe Post” podcast, Redick came out and declared that Knecht is in the one percent of shooters in the entire league, and offered words of hope that he could crack the rotation for the 2024-25 season, as NBA Lakers Report shared on X on Wednesday night:
Knecht proved to be an elite shooter in college and the 2024 Summer League
Knecht’s shooting prowess is a big reason why he was selected with the No. 17 overall pick by the Lakers in the 2024 NBA Draft. The Tennessee product shot 38.3 percent from three-point range in his three-year collegiate career, and reached a career-high of 39.7 percent in his final junior year with the Volunteers. Proving that his sweet stroke could translate to the NBA ranks, the North Dakota native looked like a carbon copy of himself in the NCAA ranks during 2024 Summer League.
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Not only did Knecht assert himself as a volume scorer in Las Vegas with 21.3 points per game, which ranked No. 9 among the field, he also connected on 39.1 percent of his 7.7 three-point attempts for an even three triples a game. Even his mechanics and form, which Redick — one of the greatest and most technically sound outside shooters in NBA history — would know all too well how to judge, show that he can excel as a catch-and-shoot threat for LeBron James, D’Angelo Russell, Gave Vincent and the rest of the many Lakers playmakers to kick out to next season.
How Knecht can earn a spot in the Lakers’ rotation next season
As for whether or not he’ll crack the rotation, the Lakers have Cam Reddish situated behind James at the three, along with Jarred Vanderbilt, who can play the three through five, as the main forwards for Knecht to try and eat into some of their playing time. He’ll also have to try and do the same with Austin Reaves when L.A. opts to go small.
Nonetheless, if he can bring intensity on defense, and hustle, that could rub off well on coach Redick and earn him time, where the 23-year-old can then show his stuff from beyond the arc. The “top one percent” laud may be premature considering the scores of elite shooters in the league at the present, but that just goes to show how good and promising Knecht is as a shooter at this formative stage of his career.
