The L.A. Lakers have had a pretty disappointing off-season, all things considered. They re-signed superstar LeBron James , but at a steep price after not being able to bring in any additional talent to supplement their roster beyond James, Anthony Davis , and Austin Reaves . Unfortunately for Laker nation, it seems that they will enter yet another season with the same level of roster that was outclassed in back-to-back postseasons by the Denver Nuggets .
However, the only silver lining for the purple and gold was that they were able to get one of the best value picks of the NBA Draft this summer, and no, it was notBronny James . Dalton Knecht slipping all the way to the 17th pick after being one of the best players in America last college season was a stroke of luck rarely experienced by LA in recent years.
Even the knock on Knecht which caused him to slide, being 23 years old already, is a positive for a Lakers team who desperately needs a contributor next season to help their aging superstars.
Knecht has had mixed results so far in NBA Summer League, but has clearly showed signs of being a valuable role player as a rookie in LA. His playstyle, fit, and confidence as a 23-year-old should lend itself to success next to James in the spotlight of Hollywood.
After their aforementioned lackluster free agency, where the Lakers made no additions and lost one of their few snipers in Taurean Prince (39.6 percent from three on 4.6 attempts per game), Los Angeles will take any help they can get on the outside. Spacing has been a problem for LA throughout the LeBron/Davis era, partly because of the nature of their star’s offensive games, but also an inconsistent group of shooters to stretch the floor.
If Knecht can carry over the confidence he shot with in college as well as early in the summer to the league, the Lakers will have solved a position of need in their rotation for the three years James is under contract. Although his efficiency was questionable, Knecht proved he was more than comfortable enough hoisting threes off the catch and on the move, and his form looked as pure as ever.
Furthermore, Knecht was a consistently great shooter in all three of his college seasons, finishing with an elite 39.7 percent campaign on 6.5 attempts per game (incredible volume for college ball). He should get much better looks in a Laker jersey with James creating open looks and feeding him the ball in the best spots on the floor, and could return to his excellent efficiency in college.
