Rookie Dalton Knecht Leads Lakers Bench Against Kings

In a Western Conference shootout, rookie Dalton Knecht led the Lakers bench in scoring.

Oct 22, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Dalton Knecht (4) dribbles during the second quarter against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jason Parkhurst-Imagn Images / Jason Parkhurst-Imagn Images

The Los Angeles Lakers seemed to be new and improved.

Anthony Davis has seen a resurgence to his former MVP-level self, LeBron James continues to put up otherworldly production, and the team’s newest head coach in JJ Reddick seems to have the team on the right track.

One of the bigger additions to the 2024-25 iteration of the Lakers has been rookie Dalton Knecht, one of the 2024 NBA Draft’s biggest sliders.

Teams vied away from Knecht likely due to his age, but that didn’t keep Los Angeles away from snatching him up at No. 17.

Now, the rookie is playing valuable minutes alongside and against the NBA’s biggest stars.

In Saturday’s late game, Knecht was the featured scorer off the Lakers bench, adding 10 points on 4-for-7 shooting — including 40% 3-point shooting — to help the team bring home a victory against the Kings and keep its undefeated record. He finished with the most bench minutes-played at 20, to Max Christie's 18.

Helping take down the Kings was a major notch in the rookie's belt, as Sacramento will likely be vying for the very same Playoffs spots as the Lakers.

Even in only adding buckets and just one assist, Knecht finished with a +16 plus-minus in the eventual win.

 A potent shooter and cerebral scorer, Knecht will undoubtedly continue to earn the trust of his Lakers teammates and coaches, and will exchange that for even more playing time as early as this season.

Los Angeles will look to keep it's win-streak alive against the Suns on Monday, Oct. 28.

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