Dalton Knecht Struggles to Find Rhythm in California Classic
Dalton Knecht is experiencing a challenging start to his professional basketball journey, struggling to find his rhythm during the California Classic. The Los Angeles Lakers' summer league hopeful has faced notable shooting woes, raising questions about his ability to transition from collegiate to professional play. Despite his struggles, there remains a sentiment of patience and optimism from both Knecht and the Lakers' summer league coaching staff.
In their recent outing, the Lakers were handed a tough 92-68 defeat by the Golden State Warriors. Knecht, playing for 22 minutes, managed to score 12 points but only shot 3-of-13 from the field. This followed another difficult game for Knecht on Saturday, where he finished just 3-of-12 from the floor. His overall performance thus far has seen him go 2-of-15 on jumpers, resulting in a meager 13.3% shooting accuracy through the first two games of the summer league.
Despite the early struggles, Knecht has shown flashes of his potential. He succeeded in getting to the free-throw line 14 times over the two games, indicating his ability to draw fouls and create scoring opportunities. Additionally, he converted 4-of-8 shots at the rim, highlighting his willingness to attack the basket.
Knecht's shooting difficulties stand in stark contrast to his college career, where he was a prolific scorer. In his final season at Tennessee, Knecht averaged an impressive 21.7 points per game. He was particularly effective from beyond the arc, hitting 42.3% of his catch-and-shoot three-pointers, according to Synergy Sports.
Entering the draft, Knecht was regarded as a consensus top-10 pick, but he unexpectedly slid out of the lottery on draft night. This added an element of intrigue and pressure to his summer league performances, as the Lakers and their fans await to see if he can realize his potential on the professional stage.
Despite the rocky start, Lakers’ summer league coach Dane Johnson remains confident in Knecht's abilities. "Just being patient with it. It's a long summer league. It's going to come. He's a great player, so I'm not worried about him missing some of the shots he's taking. He's a great shooter. Let the game come to him. There are some [flashes] where you see that he's got it," Johnson stated, emphasizing a measured approach.
Knecht himself acknowledges the need for patience and adjustment as he reacquaints himself with competitive play. "I haven't played since March," Knecht noted. "Just finding my rhythm again and keep playing with these new guys and keep adjusting. … Shooters shoot. My dad always told me the next shot is going in. Shooters shoot."
The Lakers have one more game left in the California Classic, facing the Miami Heat on Wednesday. This matchup offers another opportunity for Knecht to find his shooting touch and demonstrate his value to the team. Both he and the coaching staff will be hoping for a breakout performance that aligns more closely with his collegiate scoring prowess.
As the summer league progresses, the spotlight will remain on Knecht to see if he can overcome this initial hurdle and make his mark. His journey is a reminder of the challenges rookies face in adapting to the professional game, no matter their success at the collegiate level. While the early returns may be concerning, the underlying belief in Knecht’s talent and potential provides hope that the best is yet to come for this young player. The next game will be a pivotal point, not only for Knecht but for the Lakers' evaluation of their summer league roster as a whole.