Lakers’ Rookie Shines Subtly in Regular Season Debut

Los Angeles rookie Dalton Knecht was subtly strong in his regular season debut.

Oct 17, 2024; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Bronny James (9) and Los Angeles Lakers guard Dalton Knecht (4) and Los Angeles Lakers guard Jalen Hood-Schifino (0) celebrate after defeating the Phoenix Suns at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images / Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

In his first official NBA action, Dalton Knecht — a JUCO player just a few seasons ago — was a bright spot in an already shiny win for the Los Angeles Lakers.

In 16 minutes versus the Minnesota Timberwolves, Knecht poured on just five points on 50% shooting, but did so in timely fashion, looking the part of a seasoned contributor opposed to a newbie in their first regular season game.

Additionally, he added two dimes, one rebound and one steal in finishing with a +7 plus-minus off the bench. He would be the team's only bench player to finish with a positive plus-minus.

In the first half, Knecht provided a spark off the bench almost immediately, scoring all of his points quickly, including a long-range triple. In just first few seconds off the bench, he zagged in showing a willingness to pass, running the pick-and-roll with Jaxson Hayes to perfection.

While his stat-line wasn't gaudy, the story of the night on Knecht was simply his readiness: even the league's best rookies have seen shaky debut performances, but the team's first rounder showed true poise.

Selected at No. 17 overall, the former Volunteer was one of the 2024 NBA Draft’s biggest sliders, widely projected to be a late-lottery pick, or even top 10 pick, by many. On draft night though, team after team passed on the 6-foot-6 wing, likely due to his age as one of the older players in the class.

Now, Knecht is set to play a large role for the Lakers, shooting open triples, using his athleticism around the rim and making plays where he can, as he did in Tuesday night’s win. He'll undoubtedly have stronger games than Tuesday's, but his mistake-free game was a welcome sight for Lakers fans, regardless.

If preseason was any indication, he should be ready to make an impact from the get-go. In the team's second-to-last game of preseason, Knecht scored a blistering 35 points, including a span of 20-straight from the fourth quarter to overtime.

After cruising to a win over Minnesota behind Anthony Davis's monstrous performance, the Lakers next take on Kevin Durant and its Western Conference rivals in the Phoenix Suns at 9 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 25.

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