Melissa Rohlin
FOX Sports NBA Writer
LeBron James didn’t want to give his Los Angeles Lakers praise.
Instead, he wanted to give other NBA teams flak, specifically, the 16 that passed over 17th overall pick Dalton Knecht in the 2024 NBA Draft.
“They didn’t find DK,” James said of the Lakers as he stood by his locker following Knecht’s breakout performance in Los Angeles’ 124-118 win over Utah on Tuesday. “The other 16 teams f—– it up. Did anybody watch him? S—.”
Knecht had 37 points on 12-for-16 shooting on Tuesday night, including going 9-for-12 from beyond the arc against the Jazz. His nine 3-pointers tied the NBA single-game rookie record.
Knecht scored 21 straight points at the end of the third quarter and the top of the fourth, electrifying the crowd at Crypto.com Arena and inspiring Lakers coach JJ Redick to wax poetic about what those rare moments felt like during his playing career as a sharpshooter.
“It’s just, it’s the flow state,” Redick said. “You’re not thinking. You’re just perfectly in balance with the curvature of the earth and the earth spinning on its axis 1,000 miles an hour. You’ve let go. You’ve let go, and the ball just feels weightless. And it feels like everything is going to go in. … I wish I could have gotten into that state more.”
Redick cited Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry as the player who most often gets into that zone, adding that the players who are able to access it inspire an awareness from their teammates about where they’re located on the court at all times. He said Knecht shares that quality, with his teammates constantly tracking him.
It’s clear that the rookie’s potential is sky-high, especially if he continues to improve on the defensive end and increases his physicality. In the Lakers’ last game against New Orleans on Saturday, he finished with 27 points on 10-for-17 shooting, including 5-for-10 from deep.
James was quick to point out that he foresaw the 6-foot-6, 214-pound forward’s talent.
Last March, James mentioned Knecht during a media availability, saying one of the reasons why he watched a game between Tennessee and Purdue during the NCAA Tournament was because of Knecht. And after the Lakers snagged Knecht in the draft, James pointed out that Knecht was his favorite player in college basketball other than his son, Bronny, whom the Lakers selected with the 55th pick.
“Everybody on the internet calls me a liar all the time,” said James, who had 26 points and 12 rebounds. “… So, what am I now? I been said it. I watched him. I watched Tennessee a lot. I watched Tennessee a lot. I did not think he was going to fall to us. I thought it would be impossible. I have no idea how that happened. But I’m very grateful, and I’m very happy that he’s here. I knew exactly what we were getting when he fell to 17.”
Knecht entered Tuesday’s game averaging 9.3 points on 48.4% shooting from the field, including 40.4% from beyond the 3-point line. And he’s clearly getting more and more comfortable. That’s a good sign for the Lakers, who drew criticism after not making any major moves after getting eliminated in the first round of the playoffs last season.
The 23-year-old plays with confidence and, the more consistent he becomes, the more it’ll help open up the floor for superstars James and Anthony Davis, who have long needed great shooters by their side.
Will Dalton Knecht become the reliable outside threat that LeBron James and Anthony Davis have long needed? (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
Knecht is making an early name for himself. He’s having fun. He even emulated the Michael Jordan shrug during the 1992 NBA Finals during his hot streak on Tuesday.
The Lakers (10-4) have now won six games in a row, fueled by a recent four-game triple-double streak from James and MVP-caliber play from Davis. And, most recently, because of a rookie who slipped farther than he should’ve in the draft.
Even though Knecht acknowledged he was surprised at the time, he now believes everything worked out for the best.
“I did what I did in college,” he said. “A lot of people said I was the best player. So when I did fall, it was all right because I landed in a great spot. I got to play with LeBron. I mean, who could say that? And then also AD, I went to a great franchise and I’m very blessed to be here.”
Melissa Rohlin is an NBA writer for FOX Sports. She previously covered the league for Sports Illustrated, the Los Angeles Times, the Bay Area News Group and the San Antonio Express-News. Follow her on Twitter @melissarohlin.
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