JJ Redick didn’t play Dalton Knecht on Sunday night against the Dallas Mavericks in a move that may be his most painful statement yet. With Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves sidelined, Knecht still didn’t get a chance. If that doesn’t say how Redick feels about Knecht, nothing does. His time in LA is almost assuredly over.
With Doncic’s hamstring injury and Reaves’ oblique issue, the Lakers are in desperate need of offense right now. They lost their two top scorers, and they have a young potential bucket-getter sitting right on the bench. But unfortunately for Knecht, he evidently hasn’t done nearly enough to earn the trust of Redick.
So, he remained on the bench.
JJ Redick still didn't play Dalton Knecht against the Mavericks
LeBron James led the way for LA on Sunday, putting up 30 points, nine rebounds, and 15 assists. However, Cooper Flagg proved to be too much for the Lakers.
The potential Rookie of the Year put up a whopping 45 points, eight rebounds, and nine assists, leading the already-eliminated Mavericks to a 134-128 victory over the Lakers.
There’s an argument to be made that the Lakers didn’t actually need offense on Sunday—they needed defense. Still, for Redick not to even look Knecht’s way is a clear indication of how he feels about the young wing.
Luke Kennard played 41 minutes against the Mavericks. Forty-one minutes!! Bronny James played nine, Kobe Bufkin played three, and Nick Smith Jr. played two.
But outside of those three guys, the Lakers didn’t play a single guard or wing off the bench. Their bench rotation consisted of Maxi Kleber, Jarred Vanderbilt, and Jaxson Hayes.
Yet still, while in desperate need of some bench production at the wing and guard positions, Redick still refused to let Knecht touch the basketball court.
Knecht has spent a lot of time with the South Bay Lakers, the Lakers’ G League affiliate, this season, but he was recalled to the big club for Sunday’s game (just to ride the bench).
The last time Knecht played more than 10 minutes in a game was on February 10. Before the All-Star break. He played 16:17 in a 136-108 blowout loss to the San Antonio Spurs.
But Sunday was the final straw, if there still needed to be one.
No Doncic. No Reaves. No Marcus Smart. No bench support at the guard or wing positions.
And still, Redick didn’t put Knecht in the game.
If that’s not a clear signal that Knecht’s time in LA is over with, nothing is.