Dalton Knecht has forced the Lakers’ hand as the ideal rotation begins to take shape

The Los Angeles Lakers have finally embraced the need to build for the future while prioritizing the present. Those paths have crossed in a number of ways early in 2024-25, including Anthony Davis becoming the offensive focal point and Austin Reaves emerging as a go-to shot creator and facilitator.

A process taking place at a slower but equally significant pace is one that could see Dalton Knecht emerge as the team’s first draft-night success story in nearly a decade.

Los Angeles selected Knecht No. 17 overall in the 2024 NBA Draft and has slowly brought him along as a potentially important contributor. In just 11 games, he’s already shown his ability to get hot and anything but take over parts of a game.

That reached new heights when he scored a career-high 19 points in the Lakers’ 128-123 win over the Memphis Grizzlies on Nov. 13.

Knecht was valuable in all phases of the game, complementing his 19 points with three assists, two rebounds and a steal. He shot 7-of-8 from the field and buried all five of his three-point field goal attempts in a 31-minute heat check of a performance.

It was the third time in 11 games that the rookie has eclipsed 10 points, as well as the first game in which he played at least 30 minutes.

Knecht has experienced his share of ups and downs based on the minutes that have been made available to him. It took him 11 games to reach 30 minutes in a single outing, and he’s seen the field for more than 20 minutes just four times so far.

The consistent theme when he has been given playing time, however, is that he has taken the opportunity in stride and delivered performances at a high level.

Knecht scored 10 points in his first career 20 minutes – and the Lakers won 131-127 over the Sacramento Kings. Two games later, he was one of the lone highlights in a brutal 134-110 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers, dropping a career-high 18 points in 27 minutes.

Knecht shot just 1-of-7 in 27 minutes during a 131-114 loss to the Grizzlies on Nov. 6, but redeemed himself with the aforementioned 19 points in 31 minutes against Memphis on Nov. 13.

Los Angeles is now 6-2 when Knecht plays at least 15 minutes and 1-2 when he doesn’t. The Lakers are outscoring opponents by 8.8 points per game. 100 possessions when he’s on the court, and is outscored by 6.6 points per game. 100 possessions when he isn’t – a swing of 15.4 points.

The team also has its best offensive rating of 123.7 and its third-best defensive rating of 114.9 when Knecht is on the field.

It’s understandable for the Lakers to be a little cautious about his early development, especially as they balance the goal of winning as many games as possible with long-term ambitions. What has become abundantly clear, however, is that his presence on the field leads directly to winning results.

With long-term upside and short-term value, it has become impossible to deny that Knecht should have a steady and significant role in the Lakers’ rotation.