There are a few young players on the Los Angeles Lakers‘ roster who have the ability to raise their games this season and help the team improve. It is something that will almost invariably have to happen if the Lakers are to take a step forward and become championship contenders with their current roster.
Of those players, perhaps the most intriguing is Dalton Knecht. The 6-foot-6 sharpshooter, who is entering his second pro season, had an up-and-down rookie campaign, and he hasn’t played very well in three preseason games so far this month. Purple and Gold fans are nervous that perhaps he’s becoming a bust, even though he was the No. 17 pick in last year’s draft after being projected as a top-10 pick.
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But coach JJ Redick said that Knecht has been impressive during training camp. According to Redick, the University of Tennessee product has scored more points during live play than any other member of the team, and he has done so efficiently.
Knecht did do a little better in Sunday’s 126-116 win over the Golden State Warriors. He made four of his nine field-goal attempts and went 2-of-5 from 3-point range and 6-of-8 from the free throw line, giving him 16 points, which was tied for the second-most points on the team.
Los Angeles will have three more preseason games, starting with its Tuesday matchup against the Phoenix Suns. With LeBron James out for at least a few weeks due to sciatica, Knecht could be in position to prove that he’s a quality player.
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This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: JJ Redick on which Lakers player has had best offensive training camp