35 points. 20 in a row, with the next bucket assisted by him. Leave all of the talk about it only being the preseason behind—Dalton Knecht just gave the Los Angeles Lakers an audition tape they can't possibly overlook.
It's as simple as it gets: Following his sublime performance during the Lakers' 128-122 win over the Phoenix Suns in Los Angeles' penultimate preseason game, it's never been more obvious who Los Angeles should name as its sixth man.
It's an uphill battle to argue that a team with Anthony Davis and LeBron James should prioritize an unproven rookie over a veteran who can help more in the short term. That much is obvious. The Lakers have finally struck gold in the first round of the NBA Draft, however, and that necessitates a shift in priorities.
Even if Knecht struggles early in 2024-25, he has far too much talent for the Lakers to justify prioritizing a player with a lower ceiling.
Perhaps that will limit the efficiency of the Lakers' second unit until he crashes through the unavoidable rookie wall. It may even result in Los Angeles being tasked with trading a disgruntled reserve who could've otherwise provided value.
The Lakers are well past the point of being able to justify a short-sighted approach to team-building, however, and Knecht represents their best opportunity in more than half a decade to sustain excellence.
Dalton Knecht represents a future beyond an era of inconsistency
Los Angeles enters the 2024-25 season facing two inescapable facts. One of those harsh realities is that James will turn 40 in December and is entering a record-tying 22nd year in the NBA—meaning there has never once been a player who played a 23rd campaign.
James has been the epitome of defiant when it comes to his war against Father Time, but even he will eventually slow down, leaving the Lakers to build without him.
Even if James continues to rewrite the standard for longevity, the Lakers have unfortunately epitomized inconssitency since his arrival. They won a championship in 2020 and reached the Conference Finals in 2023, but missed the playoffs in 2019 and 2022, and lost in the first round in 2021 and 2024.
Davis and James are two of the very best players in the world, but the Lakers must finally stop holding onto an all or nothing approach to success.
Knecht represents a significant step toward sustainably competing at the highest level. Whether or not he becomes an All-Star down the line, there's obvious talent to explore, with three-level scoring ability, high-tier athleticism, and a potentially elite jump shot available for JJ Redick to mold into the complete package.
Knecht has also proven to be coachable, which adds even more reason to be intrigued by what he could become.
Dalton Knecht is willing to do the work—so let him become what you don't currently have
If the tradeoff for prioritizing Knecht over the other reserves in 2024-25 is slightly less dependability from the second unit, so be it. Giving him a chance to play as many minutes as possible alongside two of the greatest of all time could prove invaluable to Los Angeles' long-term vision for consistent success.
It could also produce the type of results that no other Lakers reserve is currently in line to provide from a scoring perspective.
Gabe Vincent is a proven postseason performer who offers two-way value and will thus play big minutes in the backcourt. Jarred Vanderbilt's defense and Max Christie's 3-and-D potential offer equal reasons for intrigue.
What Knecht brings to the table, however, is the ability to take over a game as a scorer—and the second unit desperately needs that type of presence.
Christie, Vanderbilt, and Vincent are perfect reserves due to their willingness to get their hands dirty and make the glue-guy plays that keep the team on track. Knecht is the rare breed of player who can score from any angle of the court and isn't dissuaded from exploiting openings just because his shot hasn't been falling.
Perhaps it'll all blow up in the Lakers' face in the end, but if that's the cost of giving a Rookie of the Year level talent a chance to prove himself early and often, it'd be a price worth paying.
The alternative could be Los Angeles finding a new franchise cornerstone to help Davis lead the franchise into a future both with and beyond their 39-year-old superstar.