LA is buzzing. And its all because of Dalton Knecht. If anyone didn’t know him before, they surely do after tonight as he dropped a career-high 37 points in the win against Utah. Moreover, that’s the most points any rookie has scored this season. Although we are only fourteen games in, Knecht’s dominant performance has already sparked murmurs about him bagging the Rookie of The Year trophy. Surely, that will be a historic feat, especially because a player wearing Purple and Gold has not won that trophy in a very long time.
Yes, the last time a Lakers player won ROTY was in 1959. The winner? Elgin Baylor, who had to average a whopping 24.9 points and fifteen rebounds to achieve that feat. Surprised? You should be, because as historic as the franchise is, it is shocking that they have not produced a Rookie of the Year winner for 65 years. Moreover, the team was still named the Minneapolis Lakers when Baylor won. So technically, no LA Lakers player has ever received that honor.
USA Today via Reuters
May, 1970; New York, NY, USA; FILE PHOTO; New York Knicks forward Dave Stallworth (9) is defended by Los Angeles Lakers guard Jerry West (44) and forward Elgin Baylor (22) during the 1970 NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Manny Rubio-USA TODAY Sports
It’s not that Jeanie Buss’ franchise has not had great rookies since then. Of course, there was Jerry West, who was drafted just two years after Elgin. And his impact was evident from the get go as he averaged nearly eighteen points as a rookie. However, The Logo was edged out by Oscar Robertson for the ROTY honors. Then came Magic Johnson, arguably the greatest player they have ever drafted. Sure enough, he proved it by leading the Lakers to a championship in his very first season.
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But the ROTY trophy? That went to Larry Bird, sparking one of the greatest rivalries in league history. Well, it’s been way too long since a Laker lifted that trophy. But Knecht could change that.
LeBron James claims other teams “Fu*ked it Up” as Dalton Knecht makes ROTY case
“Top 1% shooter” That’s the elite class JJ Redick put Knecht in before the season began. And the rookie has lived up to the hype so far. Yes, he showed it tonight by making nine deep range shots on just twelve attempts. Moreover, he scored 22 straight Laker points in the second half to ensure his team keeps their winning streak alive. With this epic performance, Knecht has now climbed to the fourth spot in the rookie scoring table with an average of 11.3 points.
Topping that chart is Jared McCain, but he is less than four points ahead of Dalton’s average. So, the Lakers rookie could catch up if he continues to play like this. Moreover, he has been on fire from deep range as he is shooting at a 46.4% efficiency. And he could very well create history by winning the ROTY trophy, especially because this year’s race is not one sided like last year as there is no standout generational rookie like Victor Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren. So, it’s anybody’s game right now.
And Knecht even left LeBron James in awe with his performance tonight as the four-time champ could not comprehend how teams let him fall to number 17 in the draft, “They didn’t find DK. The other 16 teams fu*ked it up. Did anybody watch him? Fu*k!” Well, he is being deemed the steal of this year’s draft and he could solidify that claim by ending the year with the ROTY trophy in his hand. Do you think he can do it?
