The Lakers may have unearthed a hidden gem in rookie Dalton Knecht. The 17th overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft sent shockwaves through the league on Tuesday night, erupting for 37 points and tying an NBA rookie record with a scorching 9 three-pointers to lead the Lakers to a thrilling 124-118 victory over the Utah Jazz.
Knecht, the reigning SEC Player of the Year out of Tennessee, caught fire in the third quarter, drilling four consecutive triples and drawing a foul on another attempt to rack up 21 points in the final 3:29 of the period. His sizzling shooting turned an 11-point Laker lead into a commanding 22-point advantage heading into the fourth.
A Star is Born
Knecht’s record-tying ninth three sent the Crypto.com Arena crowd into a frenzy and elicited a iconic reaction from the rookie sensation. Mimicking Michael Jordan’s famous shrug from the 1992 NBA Finals, Knecht soaked in the moment of his breakout performance.
“Rui [Hachimura] was talking to me about I need to get a 3-point celebration,” Knecht said after the game. “I didn’t know what to do. So, I just gave the shrug.”
– Dalton Knecht
Knecht’s historic night places him alongside the likes of fellow Lakers greats Kobe Bryant and LeBron James as the only players in franchise history to sink 9+ threes in a game. Not bad company for the 21-year-old rookie.
LeBron: “They Just Didn’t F— It Up”
Superstar teammate LeBron James had high praise for Knecht and a strong message for the 16 teams that passed on the sharpshooting wing in the draft.
“They didn’t ‘find’ DK,” James said. “The other 16 teams f—ed it up. Did anybody watch him? S—. They just didn’t f— it up. You don’t ‘find’ a SEC player of the year.”
– LeBron James
Red-Hot Start to NBA Cup
Knecht’s outburst comes as the Lakers have surged to a 2-0 start in NBA Cup group play and a six-game winning streak overall. Since being inserted into the starting lineup three games ago, the rookie is averaging a scorching 26 points while shooting a blistering 63.6% from the field and 61.5% from beyond the arc.
“We just urge him to shoot the basketball,” said Anthony Davis, who contributed 26 points and 14 rebounds in the win. “He can do more than just shoot. But he’s really good at shooting the basketball. We get mad at him when he don’t shoot.”
– Anthony Davis
Fellow young Laker Austin Reaves believes this is just the beginning for Knecht. “I know he’s capable of doing that,” Reaves said. “And honestly, I expect him to do it multiple more times this year.”
The Future is Bright in LA
With LeBron James still playing at an MVP level and Anthony Davis anchoring the defense, the sudden emergence of Dalton Knecht could be the missing piece that vaults the Lakers back into true title contention. As one of the steals of the draft, the 17th pick has injected a jolt of youthful energy and given this proud franchise a new budding star to build around for the future.
If Knecht’s record-tying heroics are any indication, Lakers fans could be witnessing the rise of the NBA’s next great sharpshooter. With a silky smooth stroke, unwavering confidence, and the swagger to match, Dalton Knecht looks poised to etch his name alongside the Lakers’ many legends for years to come.
