There were high hopes for Dalton Knecht heading into the Los Angeles Lakers’ 2024-25 season as the sharpshooting guard was projected to provide some instant scoring despite being a rookie.
Knecht was a highly-touted prospect who somehow fell to the Lakers at No. 17 in the 2024 NBA Draft, so the optimism for him to be a contributor early in his career was warranted. Knecht showed flashes in Summer League and preseason, but that early success didn’t translate into the regular season as he struggled with his jumpshot.
The rookie was missing really quality looks from distance and seemed to lose some confidence, but he finally had his breakout game in the Lakers’ win against the Memphis Grizzlies.