LOS ANGELES — When the Lakers landed Dalton Knecht with the No. 17 pick in the draft, perhaps only JJ Redick, Knecht’s staunchest believer throughout the summer, could have foreseen a night like Tuesday.
A 3-point barrage from Knecht saw him set the franchise rookie record with 3-pointers in a game with nine. Six of those came in a frenetic third quarter that saw Knecht explode for 21 points as part of his career-high 37, which helped the Lakers remain unbeaten both at home and in the NBA Cup against the Jazz.
What’s clear now in the aftermath is that Knecht is no longer just a good rookie, he is a frontrunner for Rookie of the Year.
His shooting display versus the Jazz had everyone inside Crypto.com Arena erupting in cheers as he caught heat in the third quarter.
At first, it was a simple 3-pointer from the wing that he caught it in rhythm off a D’Angelo Russell pass. Then, like a hurricane, Knecht became fully formed and terrorized Utah.
While coach Will Hardy realized what was happening, his players appeared lost and helpless under Dalton’s wrath. Knecht and Russell played hot potato with the ball, but Russell ensured Knecht took the shot.
He did and hit his second in a row.
Then D’Angelo found him again on the following possession in the same spot. The jumper electrified the crowd and none more so than LeBron James.
He celebrated from the bench, jumping up and down with the kind of unbridled joy you would think was impossible for a player who has played thousands of regular-season games.
Knecht was far from done. He made another 3-pointer, his fourth consecutive. On that shot, he hit the infamous “MJ Shrug,” jogged back on defense and shook his hot right hand as if to try to deal with the burning sensation it was causing him.
“Rui [Hachimura] was talking to me about how I needed to get a 3-point celebration,” Knecht said postgame. “I didn’t know what to do, so I just gave the shrug.”
Witnessing such a hot streak is rare and few can describe what it’s like to perform that well at that high of a level. Luckily, Knecht has a coach in Redick who has been in such a state many times in the NBA and as a shooter during his Duke days.
“It’s the flow state. You’re not thinking. You’re just perfectly in balance with the curvature of the earth and the earth spinning on its axis a thousand miles an hour,” Redick said, tongue in cheek. “You’ve let go and the ball just feels weightless. And it feels like everything is going to go in. And it’s fun when you’re in that state because you could miss a shot and it doesn’t weigh on you at all. You’re just ready for the next one.”
After the fourth in a row, the crowd was foaming at the mouth for another. Unfortunately, Jazz player Cody Williams fouled Knecht on his next 3-point attempt, only briefly delaying the hot streak.
He converted on all three from the charity stripe, then added another one from deep, giving him 21 points in the third quarter.
Knecht hit another 3-pointer to start the fourth to cap off his incredible night. It’s tied for the eighth most points a Lakers rookie has ever scored and the most since Kyle Kuzma’s 38-point performance back in 2018. No other rookie in the NBA this year has scored as much as Knecht did on Tuesday.
Knecht is averaging 11.3 points, shooting 43% from three and has a plus-minus of +4.4. His impact is palpable, and the Lakers’ biggest stars have noticed.
“Anytime he makes a shot, it gives us a spark,” Anthony Davis said postgame. “Obviously it’s always better when he’s at home, the crowd can get into it but he was phenomenal tonight…When you hot like that, 7-9, I think, from three, man, he’s special to watch.”
“It’s special to watch,” LeBron James added after the win. “It’s fun. I mean…when a guy gets hot like that, you feel like you could just throw anything into the ocean it’s going in for sure. DK got it going.”
It’s rarified air to do things that LeBron calls special. The Lakers have struck gold in the draft yet again and now the NBA has been put on notice.
There’s a Rookie of the Year frontrunner, he plays for the Lakers and his name is Dalton Knecht.
You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88.
