Rookie Dalton Knecht reveals why the Lakers assume they acquired a steal within the draft

Dalton Knecht, the Lakers’ rookie guard, clutched the sport ball inside his locker after he dominated the ultimate minutes of the Lakers’ overtime win Thursday in Phoenix, a proud second for somebody who isn’t a stranger to dominating a sport.

“This felt identical to Auburn,” he stated with a smile, remembering the sport final season the place he scored 39 factors in a win over Tennessee’s SEC rival.

The variations, although, weren’t truly that refined.

That sport in Auburn? It didn’t include LeBron James and Anthony Davis fanning Knecht on the sidelines after he metaphorically caught hearth. It didn’t occur with one of many NBA’s finest shooters ever, Reggie Miller, on the published. It didn’t occur with Knecht’s all-time favourite participant, Kevin Durant, on the opposite sideline encouraging him to maintain going.

It didn’t occur, preseason or not, as a Los Angeles Laker.

As he walked onto the court docket for additional time after taking pictures the Lakers again into the sport, Durant discovered Knecht on the court docket and gave him a message that is likely to be much more precious than the sport ball.

Learn extra: Lakers beat Suns behind rookie Dalton Knecht’s best preseason game yet

“Go take over the sport,” he informed the rookie.

His future Corridor of Fame teammates had simply given him the identical recommendation.

“Bron and AD stated, ‘It’s time.’ So it was simply time to take over,” Knecht stated.

It validated the early reward heaped on Knecht, who appears to be like like he’s going to undoubtedly be part of the crew’s rotation out of coaching camp.

“Reggie [Miller] and I had been speaking about it earlier than the sport and he was like, ‘It is excessive reward to say he is within the 1 % of shooters.’ And I am like, ‘Yeah, he is within the 1 % of shooters,” Lakers coach JJ Redick stated. “The factor about him is simply the mentality. It has been very apparent in pickup earlier than the season. In coaching camp, so far in video games, he is acquired no worry. He is not afraid of the second.

“That was a present that he placed on.”

The present — 35 factors, together with a stretch the place he scored 20 in a row late within the fourth quarter and into additional time — definitely makes it look like the Lakers acquired a steal within the draft. Knecht fell to the crew at No. 17 on account of considerations about his age and defensive limitations, league executives say.

And the questions on Knecht’s protection, coaches and teammates say, aren’t going to be not possible to beat due to his coachability and need for enchancment.

“The best way that he shoots the ball and the way in which that he listens, such as you say, ‘Dalton do that,’ he’ll do it. Like no ifs, ands, buts, Austin Reaves stated. “No, ‘I assumed it was this, I assumed it was that.’ Such as you say, ‘be low man (on protection), go vertical.’ That is what he’ll do. So having that trait as nicely is sweet and having the ability to, like I stated, shoot the ball the way in which that he does, it’ll be onerous for him to not be on the ground at occasions. Clearly, you realize, defensively, he is working his ass off each single day to get higher. He is asking questions, and that is all you’ll be able to ask from a rookie.”

The Lakers have taken an extended take a look at Knecht this fall. He’s main the Lakers in minutes and is averaging 10 three-point makes an attempt per sport. Earlier than Thursday, he was taking pictures simply 27%. He missed a possible tying three earlier within the preseason towards the Suns.

“Simply these moments that you just dream of as a child, and you may inform that he needs these moments. He needs to, the shot that he missed in, I believe it was Palm Springs, proper? To tie it. You can see within the locker room, like how a lot, you realize, that shot meant to him,” Reavers stated. “He was pissed. You can inform by the way in which he was taking a look at him like he was he wasn’t pleased with himself. And that is a that is an excellent trait to have.”

The Lakers and Redick already appeared dedicated to him earlier than he confirmed the form of scoring prowess that made him one of many large tales of school basketball final season.

“He is simply acquired, he is acquired a psychological toughness about him,” Redick stated. “And whether or not it is the offensive rebounding, the competitiveness on protection. He is making an attempt. He is acquired some issues he is acquired to study and get higher at, however he is making an attempt. And actually, that is half the battle generally.”

And Thursday, he acquired his first actual second as a professional — whereas Durant, James, Davis and others watching.

“For him to go on the market and placed on a efficiency like that in that second half was unreal to look at. It was … I nearly hit a hole-in-one the opposite day. I hit it off the pin and like that pleasure that I had then, like I had it for that entire fourth quarter,” Reaves stated. “So it is lovely. You see how a lot work that he places in each single day. He is searching folks down proper after observe to shoot. So that you tip your hat to a man like that. And, you realize, I anticipated all these pictures to go in, to be sincere.”

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This story initially appeared in Los Angeles Times.