How Dalton Knecht can change everything for LeBron James and the Lakers

Throwing away percentages and advanced stats, there are three types of shooters in the NBA. There are players who can make shots, players who can shoot and shooter. It is easy to spot the real shooters. The net slams as the ball whizzes through. There’s a different feeling in the air as they curl around a screen and a sense of inevitability as their shots arc towards the frame. The entire arena buzzes with an almost physical sense of anticipation on hot shooting nights, not just expecting, but knowing that the next attempt will go in, no matter where it comes from.

In rookie Dalton Knecht, the Los Angeles Lakers appear to have found a shooter. And it’s no exaggeration to say that could change everything for the Lakers, both right now and in the distant future.

Selected 17th overall in the 2024 NBA draft, Knecht was expected to shoot at a decent clip out of Tennessee. Through the opening weeks of the season, Knecht did just that, entering Tuesday’s game against the Utah Jazz shooting 40.4% from three on 4.4 attempts per game. match. Good grades, especially for a first-year player, and quite valuable for the shot-hungry Lakers. But nothing to write home about.

Then Knecht exploded against jazz. He scored 37 points and hit nine three-pointers, tying the NBA record for most threes by a rookie in one game. The third quarter was his pièce de résistance, as the 23-year-old wing scored 18 straight points in the final 3 1/2 minutes.

It was electrifying and a tantalizing glimpse of the possibilities that arise for LA if Knecht is not just a good shooter, but the kind of offensive weapon that can destroy a game plan if left unattended.

His importance to this Lakers roster is transparent. Every team in the NBA wants players on the floor who can hit shots beyond the arc at a high clip. Knecht’s mere presence opens up the offense and is especially valuable to LeBron James, who has always played at his best with good shooters by his side. Knecht and James have shared the floor for 201 minutes so far this season and have outscored opponents by 20 points, according to NBA.com. Overall, the Lakers have outscored opponents by 4.4 points in Knecht’s minutes, second most on the Lakers behind Anthony Davis.

Those numbers get muddy as Knecht gets more playing time. Right now, he plays an average of about 20 minutes per game. game, but it’s worth noting that his playing time has been pushed up recently and his performance has only improved. Since November 13, Knecht has averaged 33.2 minutes per game. contest, and Los Angeles has outscored its opposition by 9.3 points in those minutes.

Since it’s not even Thanksgiving yet, we’re clearly working with small sample sizes. Knecht doesn’t solve all the problems on this roster, and a 37-point game doesn’t exactly make him the next Splash Brother. But it’s hard to underestimate how massive it is for the Lakers to strike gold with a rookie, and especially to land a player like him.

Knecht’s dead-eye shooting skills, both spotting up and off the move, are the most valuable in the NBA. Everyone wants it and will pay a large premium to get it. Knecht has a $3.8 million cap hit, a roster-building boon for the Lakers and their expensive talent; Los Angeles ranks sixth in the NBA in payroll for the 2024-25 season. The franchise will relatively enjoy his extremely valuable attributes for a little bit.

It gives the Lakers flexibility they didn’t previously enjoy for this season and in the big picture. Knecht’s emergence means they can dangle a player like D’Angelo Russell in trade talks this season without fear of robbing the only elite shooter in the rotation, as appeared to be the case last year. Or, if the opportunity to take a huge swing at an elite talent presents itself sometime in the next few seasons and Knecht continues this trajectory, he could be included as a legitimately valuable commodity.

In recent seasons, the Lakers have struggled to develop young talent that other teams demand. That made it very difficult to improve the roster around James and Davis. Los Angeles couldn’t elbow its way into any trade discussions without a decent young player, and each season that went by without a new influx of talent made the organization even more inflexible.

There is still plenty to prove for the young sharpshooter. It doesn’t matter how many shots Knecht makes if he’s brought in defensively, and the rookie wall looms large down the stretch of the season where the Lakers are expected to fight hard for a playoff spot.

Knecht’s early breakout could give the Lakers opportunities. It’s a significant development — and one that could change the Lakers’ trajectory not just this season, but beyond.