Lakers rookie rebounds with career high

After a series of poor performances, Lakers rookie Dalton Knecht bounced back with his best performance yet on Wednesday night, wearing the timeless purple and gold.

In 31 minutes for the Lakers, Knecht posted a game-high 19 points on near-perfect 7-for-8 shooting, totaling five triples and adding three assists, two steals and two rebounds. He shot 100% from beyond the arc on the night.

In the second half, Knecht almost single-handedly turned the game in Los Angeles’ favor, hitting a number of three-pointers and even shaping the game for others.

His performance was much needed to help the Lakers to a second-half victory over their Western Conference rival, the Memphis Grizzlies. Knecht finished the win as a +16 plus-minus.

Prior to the rematch against the Grizzlies, Knecht was averaging 6.1 points on 39% shooting in 10 games. He averaged just 16.9 minutes per game while recording 1.8 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game.

There’s no question that Knecht will eventually find his rhythm and become a long-time NBA starter with his long frame, shooting ability and athleticism. The only remaining question is when it will happen for the Lakers, who desperately need another impactful player off the bench to get by given the aging of LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

He has seen a number of games with double-digit scoring chances this season, but has yet to find consistency from game to game or even shot to shot. He’s been a career 38 percent shooter from distance with good volume and clean mechanics, meaning he’ll likely find it soon enough.

Since the Lakers were drafted 17th overall in the 2024 NBA Draft, it’s clear they acquired a true NBA contributor in the biggest slider of the first night’s draft.

The Lakers are back in action on Friday, November 15th in San Antonio after fending off a Victor Wembanyama 50 bomb.

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