Los Angeles Lakers Rookie Dalton Knecht Will Face Plenty of Pressure in Year One

The Los Angeles Lakers rookie Dalton Knecht will face plenty of pressure in year one.

Jul 12, 2024; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward Dalton Knecht (4) competes during the first half against the Houston Rockets at the Thomas & Mack Center. Mandatory Credit: Lucas Peltier-USA TODAY Sports / Lucas Peltier-USA TODAY Sports

The Los Angeles Lakers are looking to rebound from a disappointing 47-35 season that saw them bounced from the play-in tournament a year ago. In an attempt to maximize the final seasons of LeBron James - for now owning a dynamic duo at the top with Anthony Davis flanking one of the best players to ever step on the hardwood.

However, this offseason has left plenty to be desired for the Purple and Gold, their biggest move came in the form of a coaching change ushering in NBA Veteran turned podcaster turned sideline pacer JJ Redick to lead the historic franchise.

Past that, the Lakers have re-signed Max Christie and selected a pair of rookies in the 2024 NBA Draft - Dalton Knecht and Bronny James. This is on top of losing Spencer Dinwiddie and Taurean Prince.

With this roster shuffle, it puts a lot of pressure on the No. 17 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. The Purple and Gold clearly did not have enough on their roster to truly compete in the tough Western Conference and adding the sharpshooter was one of the few additions the LaLA Land Legends made this summer.

Knecht has to come in right away and make an impact to help boost the Lakers to a playoff series for the first time since 2023-24 as the historic franchise attempts to win their first playoff series since the 2022-23 campaign.

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