Amazing stats reveal the importance of Dalton Knecht offering more with the Lakers

The Los Angeles Lakers struck gold on the night of the 2024 NBA Draft. Projected by near-consensus as a potential top-10 pick, former Tennessee Volunteers star Dalton Knecht slipped to No. 17 overall, giving Los Angeles a unique opportunity to land a potentially important player.

Knecht has struggled to find consistent playing time early in his rookie season, but when he has been on the court, the Lakers have been a significantly better team.

Knecht has appeared in each of the Lakers’ first 10 games, averaging 16.9 minutes per game. During that time, he has averaged 6.1 points, 1.8 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 1.1 three-point field goals, which equates to 13.0 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 2.3 threes per 36 minutes.

Some are concerned that Knecht is shooting 28.9 percent from beyond the arc, but removing the Memphis Grizzlies and Philadelphia 76ers games, he has buried 38.5 percent of his attempts.

That alone is reason to be intrigued by what he could achieve with more playing time. Yes, he has had bad shooting nights, but the bottom line for him has been efficient shooting and a fearless approach to spacing the floor for the shot makers.

Knecht’s value has not only been found in how well he has shot outside of the Memphis and Philadelphia games, but his overall ability to make the Lakers an all-around stronger team.

Los Angeles is currently outscoring opponents with 5.7 points per 100 possessions when Knecht is on the pitch. In comparison, the Lakers are outscored by 5.0 points per game. 100 possessions – a stunning 10.7 point swing by that metric.

The most notable aspect of Knecht’s massively positive impact is the simple fact that Los Angeles is better on both ends of the floor when he plays.

Los Angeles currently posts a 121.5 offensive rating when Knecht is on the court — the second-highest mark among Lakers who have received at least 100 minutes of playing time. When he is on the bench, the team scores 112.1 points per game. 100 possessions – the second worst mark on the team.

That 9.4-point swing is a sign of how much stronger the Lakers are on offense when Knecht is available to space the floor and put constant pressure on the opposition.

The more surprising element of Knecht’s value is the fact that the Lakers have also been better on defense. He’s not to be confused with an elite defender at this point, but Los Angeles has a defensive rating of 115.8 when he’s on the field and 117.1 when he’s not.

It’s admittedly too early to put too much stock in these numbers, but Knecht giving the Lakers a massive boost on offense without costing them on defense is important information.

Going forward, the Lakers should make it a priority to have Knecht in a more prominent role. He will struggle at times, as all rookies do, but his mere presence on the court is a positive for the Lakers – and his dynamic scoring potential will only be realized through opportunities for trial and error.

If Knecht continues to provide the value he has, the Lakers could find themselves with a Rookie of the Year candidate and the type of cornerstone they’ve been looking for.