Rookie of the Year isn't the only case Lakers' Dalton Knecht is making

Dalton Knecht entered the NBA knowing that at least half the Association believed that he was either too old or simply not a good fit. The Los Angeles Lakers had no such concerns, selecting Knecht at No. 17 overall and consistently referring to him as a building block for the franchise's future.

The future is arriving sooner than expected, however, with Knecht putting his name in the Rookie of the Year race and an even more important discussion about the structure of the Lakers' rotation.

Knecht has put together an impressive first 13 games of his NBA career, balancing the rare inefficient showing with a consistently strong quality of play. He's averaging 9.3 points, 2.3 rebounds, 1.2 assists, and 1.8 three-point field goals made on .484/.404/1.000 shooting while playing 20.2 minutes per game.

The only complaint from Knecht's teammates at this stage of the season is that they want him to be even more aggressive.

Knecht has spent the past three games taking Davis' advice and proving that he's as great as the Lakers' franchise player believes he is.

Dalton Knecht has reached another level over the past three games

Knecht began his recent string of success by scoring a career-high 19 points on 7-of-8 shooting during a 128-123 road win over the Memphis Grizzlies. The next time out, he tallied 14 points in 26 minutes as the Lakers defeated the San Antonio Spurs 120-115.

The two performances were enough to earn positive reviews, but Knecht saved the best for the last outing on the Lakers' three-game road trip.

Knecht was diabolically dominant, tearing the New Orleans Pelicans to shreds at every turn. He shattered the career-high he'd set just three days prior, posting 27 points to go along with seven rebounds, two assists, and two steals in 37 minutes.

Knecht is now averaging 15.2 points and 2.8 three-point field goals made when he plays at least 20 minutes in 2024-25.

Beyond the individual statistics, Knecht is providing a direct and profoundly positive impact on the Lakers' quality of play. Los Angeles is outscoring opponents by 6.5 points per 100 possessions when he's on the court, and is being outscored by 5.3 points per 100 possessions when he isn't—an 11.8-point swing.

With this in mind, the question facing head coach JJ Redick is simple: Is there a starter who's soon to be replaced by Knecht?

Should Dalton Knecht start or share sixth man duties with D'Angelo Russell?

The case for Knecht continuing to come in off the bench is that his game is tailor made for that type of role. He's an instant offense scoring threat who only needs to see one shot fall in order to get into a rhythm and all but take over for short periods of time.

The clash with the Pelicans revealed how dominant he can be when he gets hot, and Davis' comments seem to imply that the Lakers are all-in on Knecht shooting more frequently.

The question of how he fits with the starters really comes down to a matter of what the Lakers need around Davis, LeBron James, and Austin Reaves. That trio operates- as the team's primary shot creators, which seemingly lends credence to the belief that Knecht's three-point shooting makes him a perfect complementary piece.

In saying that, the Lakers are also in need of high-level perimeter defenders to help set an early tone as the shot creators generate offense—and one could argue that Knecht isn't quite that caliber of defender yet.

In the short term, Redick must ensure that Knecht is receiving consistent playing time off the bench. He should rarely play fewer than 20 minutes, and has the perfect offensive game to change the pace and tone of an outing in the sixth man role.

In the long term, however, the Lakers will need to figure out who to bump from the starting lineup for Knecht, who will soon become one of the defining figures of the new era.