Lakers rookie returns with career high

After a string of down performances, Lakers rookie Dalton Knecht returned Wednesday night with his best performance to date donning the timeless purple and gold.

In 31 minutes for the Lakers, Knecht scored 19 points off the bench on near-perfect 7-for-8 shooting, bombed five total triples and added three assists, two steals and two rebounds. He finished shooting 100% from beyond the arc on the night.

In the second half, Knecht almost single-handedly shifted the game’s edge in Los Angeles’ favor, hitting a flurry of triples and even play-making for others.

His performance was needed to help the Lakers coast to a second-half upset of Western Conference rival Memphis Grizzlies. Knecht finished as +16 plus-minus in the win.

Entering the rematch against the Grizzlies, Knecht was averaging 6.1 points on 39% shooting through 10 games. He had played an average of just 16.9 minutes per game. game, added 1.8 rebounds and 1.1 assists per match.

There is no doubt that Knecht will eventually find his rhythm and become a perennial NBA starter with his long frame, shooting and athleticism. The only question that remains is when that will happen for the Lakers, who desperately need another impactful piece off the bench to make a run with LeBron James and Anthony Davis aging.

He has seen a flurry of double-digit scoring games this season, but has yet to find consistency on a game-to-game or even shot-to-shot basis thus far. He was a career 38% shooter from range with good volume with clean mechanics, which means he’ll likely find it soon enough.

Drafted No. 17 in the 2024 NBA Draft, it’s clear the Lakers have landed a bona fide NBA contributor in the draft’s biggest night one shooter.

The Lakers are back in action in San Antonio on Friday, November 15 after a Victor Wembanyama 50 bomb.

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