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JJ Redick identifies areas he plans to work with Dalton Knecht to maximize potential

Grant Grubbs Profile Pictureby:Grant Grubbs•07/12/24•

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Dalton Knecht | Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
(Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports ) Jul 6, 2024; San Francisco, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Dalton Knecht (4) between plays against the Sacramento Kings during the fourth quarter at Chase Center.

Dalton Knecht wasted no time in making an excellent impression in his new environment. During the Lakers’ matchup against the Houston Rockets at the Las Vegas Summer League on Friday, Lakers head coach JJ Redick revealed his initial thoughts about Knecht’s game.

“He’s got a great feel as a basketball player,” Redick said. “I spent 30 minutes with him yesterday on the court after practice with live defense, going through some actions, and just working with him on creating separation. And in that drill, he shot pretty darn well.

“I know he can shoot it. So, it’s the other parts of his game — the defense, the rebounding, the passing, just his feel of the game, that I also have been impressed with. Obviously, we know in the NBA, you have to be a two-way player to make an impact. Defensively, he’s got to prove [himself] like any rookie.”

Knecht has never had a problem proving himself in the past. In his lone season at Tennessee, Knecht averaged 21.7 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game while shooting 45.8% from the field and 39.7% from beyond the arc. Knecht’s 21.7 points per game were the most in the SEC.

Knecht didn’t slow down under the spotlight, either. In Tennessee’s season-ending loss against Purdue in the Elite Eight, Knecht broke the program record for points in an NCAA Tournament game with 37, the sixth-most ever by an SEC player.

For his efforts, he was the 2024 SEC Player of the Year, a unanimous All-American (AP, NABC, Sporting News, USBWA), a Julius Erving Award honoree and Naismith Trophy Player of the Year finalist.

Experts don’t expect Knecht to slow down at the next level. Ahead of the draft, On3’s James Fletcher III broke down Knecht’s play style and NBA potential.

“Dalton Knecht left no doubt that he can score the basketball at any level,” Fletcher III wrote. “Upping his production while moving from Northern Colorado to Tennessee makes him one of the highest floor players on offense.

“The 6-foot-6 wing will now go head-to-head with athletic defenders more often in the NBA, giving him another area to grow. He improved defensively, but still has questions to answer on that end as well.”

Knecht looked the part in the Lakers’ 99-80 loss against the Rockets. The 6-foot-6 guard tallied a game-high 25 points, six rebounds and four assists while shooting 5-11 from beyond the arc. On Monday, the Lakers will square off against the Boston Celtics at 10:30 p.m. ET.