It is a widely held belief in sports that a player should not lose his job due to an injury. This is especially true in the case of a short-term injury. Rui Hachimura only missed a week, but his sprained ankle may have just changed the entire outlook for the season Los Angeles Lakers. Why? Because last week Dalton Knecht appeared to be one of the best shooters in all of basketball.
In his last three starts, Knecht has now scored 88 points on 28 of 46 shooting from the floor and 16 of 26 shooting from deep. The No. 17 overall pick in June On Tuesday, he saved his best for last as he cruised to a 124-118 victory over the Utah JazzHe scored 37 points and tied the rookie record with nine 3-pointers in a single game. At one point in the second half, Knecht scored 22 straight Laker points.
It's the kind of long-range explosion that the Lakers have been missing throughout the LeBron James-Anthony Davis era. This is a team that won a championship with a subpar half-court offense and made the third-fewest 3s in the championship Last season. Part of the logic behind the setting JJ Redick As head coach, it was clear that a former top shooter from his playing days could help reshape the Lakers' offense to maximize spacing. So far this season, the Lakers have taken small steps in the right direction. They've moved up to 23rd in 3-point attempt percentage from 28th a season ago, and the addition of Knecht only pushes them further toward modernity.
When the Lakers landed Knecht at No. 17 overall, Redick reportedly began making plays for him immediately on draft night. The problem with this is that for a newcomer on the bench, it is extremely difficult to find a rhythm in a low-pressure role. Knecht was used to being the focal point of his college offense at Tennessee, and this season he was noticeably more successful in games where he played significant minutes. He has now played seven games in which he earned more than 20 minutes of playing time and 20 minutes in which he received less. When he has played 20 or more minutes, he has a 53.1% hit rate on 3s. What if he played less? It is 31.6%.
Rhythm helps, but it also fits. Shooters reinforce the players around them and are in turn reinforced by their best teammates. It's harder for defenses to direct appropriate resources to Knecht when he's sharing the floor with James and Davis, and it becomes much harder for them to slow them down when they have to keep an eye on Knecht. Hachimura presents some of the same issues, but even as a high percentage shooter his volume remains fairly low. Hachimura's value lies more in his ability to use the threat of his jumper to get better looks near the basket. That's a skill that means more on the bench than James, Davis and Austin Reaves on the court, as the Lakers have discovered since the bench change D'Angelo Russell.
The Lakers could let the two play together and almost certainly will in some situations, but their perimeter defense still leaves a lot to be desired Cam Reddish at a starting point. Knecht, Hachimura and Reaves are all subpar defenders at best. Davis is one of the best defenders in the NBA, but asking him to cover all three of those liabilities can lead to foul trouble, fatigue and possibly injury. Knecht and Hachimura may be the fourth and fifth best Lakers at the moment, but there's actually only room for one of them in the starting lineup.
And as the last three games show, Knecht fits in better and benefits much more from playing alongside the regular players than Hachimura. The Lakers have been looking for a shooter like this for years. Now that they have him, it's up to Redick to continue maximizing him with as many minutes and shot attempts as possible.