When the Los Angeles Lakers selected Dalton Knecht in the draft, the expectation was that he could make an immediate impact, which led to high NBA Rookie of the Year predictions for him.
Known as one of the top shooters in his draft class, Knecht seemed set for a chance at significant playing time. However, he has struggled with his shooting so far. Through the first 10 games of the season, he has posted a shooting percentage of 38.6% from the field and 28.9% from beyond the arc.
Despite the tough start, head coach JJ Redick is still confident in Knecht’s ability to turn things around. He is pleased with the quality of the shots Knecht has been taking and believes they will eventually start falling.
“I have,” Redick said. “To me, he’s gotten some really good looks both organically and when we’ve run sets for him. I am undeterred in my thinking that he is a tier one, top 1% shooter. I see it almost every day.
Sometimes you go through stuff and because I played 15 years, it’s always hard for me early in the season if I initially didn’t get off to a good start shooting 3s.
It became more than it was and I just started focusing on the long term and just believing that the law of averages would work out, there would be regression to the mean and I’d end up being a 40% 3-point shooter.
“But it’s hard mentally I think, and I’m not speaking for him, but I think for shooters, it’s hard when you get off to a slow start shooting the ball. It can kind of weigh on you. I’ve talked to him about it and he believes that shot is going in every single time. And so do I.”
D’Angelo Russell also weighed in, expressing confidence that Knecht’s breakthrough is coming and that he just needs to stay ready for when it happens.
“Every young player in the league wants it right away,” Russell said. “The Basketball Gods have a funny way of disguising those blessings. So for him, just know that your time is coming and just be ready. I think he’ll be ready when his time comes.”
It’s common for rookies to experience ups and downs in their first NBA season, so the best thing Knecht can do is stay confident and keep taking his shots. In the Lakers’ win over the Toronto Raptors, Knecht only attempted two shots but hit a crucial corner three-pointer that gave the Lakers the lead late in the third quarter.
Redick also praised the Lakers for responding well to the coaching staff after a slow first half in their win against the Raptors. He credited the players, including Knecht, for making adjustments and improving their play in the second half.
