Lakers' Dalton Knecht Sees Massive Boost in 2K Rating After Dominant Outings

Matt Levine | 3 Hours Ago

Jul 6, 2024; San Francisco, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Dalton Knecht (4) warms up before the game against the Sacramento Kings at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports /

The Los Angeles Lakers have started the new year with a record of 10-5, showing much more competitiveness than many expected. Los Angeles brought back almost the same record despite the team losing in the first round of the postseason.

However, one main difference was rookie guard Dalton Knecht, who the team took in the first round of the 2024 NBA Draft. Knecht was originally supposed to be a lottery pick but fell down to pick No. 17 where the Lakers could snag him.

Many believed that this pick could end up being the steal of the draft and so far, Knecht has been playing lights out. Due to some injuries, the Lakers' new head coach JJ Redick recently moved the rookie into the starting lineup and he hasn't looked back.

Over the last five games, Knecht has averaged 22.8 points per game. This includes a 37-point outburst against the Utah Jazz that saw the rookie knock down nine 3-pointers.

Due to his strong play of late, Knecht has also made strides off the court. He recently saw his rating in the popular video game, NBA 2K, take a massive spike. Knecht saw his rating jump up seven spots, hitting the 80 rating mark.

Lakers rookie Dalton Knecht when up +7 in his overall rating on NBA 2K25. pic.twitter.com/lzxpOvOAYF

— Lakers Empire (@LakersEmpire) November 21, 2024

Even star LeBron James knows how special Knecht has been, commenting on his recent performances.

"They didn't 'find' DK," James (26 points, 12 assists) said. "The other 16 teams f---ed it up. Did anybody watch him? S---. They just didn't f--- it up. You don't 'find' a SEC player of the year."

Knecht has been exactly what the Lakers were hoping for when they drafted him and he has continued to push his head down all season. There is still a way to go in terms of his overall play but as he has seen more minutes, his numbers have increased.

"I'm not concerned at all with Dalton in terms of meeting the moment," said Lakers coach JJ Redick, who hit nine 3s in a game just once in 940 career games -- Knecht did it in his 14th as a pro. "He's fearless. ... It's a real weapon for our group beyond just the score. It's a weapon that energizes us."

If Knecht keeps playing like this, his 2K rating will keep going up. But so will his minutes and he could potentially be on the floor come playoff time if the Lakers were to clinch a spot.

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