Lakers' Dalton Knecht: Five points in Rising Stars final
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Knecht registered five points (2-5 FG, 1-3 3Pt), two rebounds and one steal over 7:34 of court time in Team C's 25-14 win over Team G League in the Rising Stars finals Friday.
Knecht had a more all-around showing in the semifinals against Team T, finishing with seven points, four rebounds and four assists over 10:21 of playing time. With Friday's win in the finals, Knecht and Team C will go up against Team Shaq in the first round of the All-Star game tournament Sunday. Knecht rejoined the Lakers' rotation Feb. 12 after his trade to the Hornets got rescinded, but the rookie first-round pick figures to be a key rotational piece for the Lakers following the All-Star break.
Lakers head coach JJ Redick said that Knecht will be part of the rotation for Wednesday's game against Utah, Khobi Price of The Orange County Register reports.
Knecht is poised to play for the first time since the Lakers traded him to the Hornets last week before rescinding the trade after center Mark Williams failed to pass his physical. The Hornets have disputed the Lakers' medical findings on Williams and are still looking to push the trade through, but Knecht looks as though he'll continue to suit up for Los Angeles even while the situation remains unresolved. The rookie first-round pick is averaging 9.4 points, 3.1 rebounds, 1.6 three-pointers and 0.9 assists in 20.7 minutes per game over his 48 appearances with the Lakers on the season.
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Lakers' Dalton Knecht: Officially out
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Knecht (personal) won't play Monday against the Jazz, Daniel Starkand of LakersNation.com reports.
It was reported a few hours before tipoff that Knecht wasn't expected to play, and the team has since officially ruled him out after he rejoined the team one day ago. However, the Lakers do expect the rookie forward to be part of the rotation Wednesday in Utah.
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Lakers' Dalton Knecht: Not expected to play Monday
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Knecht (personal) is not expected to play Monday against the Jazz, Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times reports.
Knecht was temporarily traded to the Hornets in the deal that would have sent Mark Williams (not injury related) to Los Angeles, but the rookie is back in LA since the deal got rescinded. However, Knecht landed in LA on Sunday, so he's not expected to suit up Monday, although the plan is for him to play Wednesday, according to Woike.
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Lakers' Dalton Knecht: Deemed probable for Monday
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Knecht (personal) has been upgraded to probable for Monday's game against the Jazz, Khobi Price of The Orange County Register reports.
After his trade to the Hornets was nixed over the weekend when Mark Williams failed a physical, Knecht has rejoined the Lakers and is expected to suit up Monday. In 48 appearances for the Lakers this season, Knecht has averaged 9.4 points, 3.1 rebounds, 1.6 three-pointers and 0.9 assists in 20.7 minutes per game. With Luka Doncic (calf) listed as probable for Monday and on track to make his team debut, Knecht could see his playing time begin to trend down over the second half of his rookie season.
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Lakers' Dalton Knecht: Questionable for Monday's game
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Knecht (personal) is listed as questionable for Monday's game against the Jazz, Khobi Price of The Orange County Register reports.
The rookie first-round pick remains with the Lakers after the team rescinded its trade-deadline deal with the Hornets that would have sent Knecht and Cam Reddish to Charlotte. Though Knecht isn't dealing with an injury, he hasn't played in nearly a week, so the team may be exercising some caution in listing him as questionable for Monday's contest. Knecht has averaged 9.4 points, 3.1 rebounds, 1.6 three-pointers and 0.9 assists in 20.7 minutes per game over 48 appearances for the Lakers this season.
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Hornets' Dalton Knecht: Iffy to debut Friday
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Knecht (recently traded) is listed as questionable for Friday's game against the Spurs.
The rookie first-rounder was recently acquired by the Hornets in a trade that sent Mark Williams to the Lakers, and Knecht is questionable to make his debut with the club Friday. The 23-year-old appeared in 48 regular-season outings (12 starts) before the trade, averaging 9.4 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.6 three-pointers across 20.7 minutes per contest. Knecht will likely be able to step into a more sizable role with Charlotte, as the club is dealing with injuries to several key contributors.
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Lakers' Dalton Knecht: Drops 24 off bench Tuesday
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Knecht notched 24 points (8-13 FG, 5-8 3Pt, 3-3 FT) and five rebounds across 23 minutes off the bench during Tuesday's 118-104 loss to the 76ers.
The rookie wing put together his best scoring effort since he erupted for 37 points against the Jazz on Nov. 19. Knecht has had an erratic January, scoring six points or less in seven of 13 games, but he may be working his way back into a more consistent role on the Lakers' second unit, as he's played more than 20 minutes in three straight games.
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Lakers' Dalton Knecht: Fails to make impact
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Knecht registered two points (1-3 FG, 0-1 3Pt), two rebounds and one steal in 21 minutes during Monday's 112-107 victory over Charlotte.
The Lakers were without Rui Hachimura (calf) and Gabe Vincent (knee), but Knecht wasn't able to take advantage of his opportunity. He's had a tough month overall, posting averages of 6.8 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.2 three-pointers on 42.2 percent shooting across 12 January appearances.
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Lakers' Dalton Knecht: Sees just eight minutes
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Knecht ended Tuesday's 111-88 win over the Wizards with three points (1-4 FG, 1-2 3Pt) and two rebounds in eight minutes.
Knecht's fantasy arrow continues to point down, with this being his lowest workload since Dec. 21. The Lakers will be getting Jarred Vanderbilt (foot) back on Saturday versus Golden State, making this rotation even harder to crack.
Knecht accumulated six points (2-6 FG, 0-3 3Pt, 2-2 FT) and one rebound across 17 minutes during Thursday's 114-106 win over the Trail Blazers.
Knecht was once considered a contender for NBA Rookie of the Year, but he's been on the decline lately. The first-round pick has shot 23.9 percent from beyond the arc over the last 16 games, which has hurt his chances of being a dependable shooter and scorer off the bench for coach JJ Redick, who used to rave about the rookie standout.
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Lakers' Dalton Knecht: Leading scorer in Friday's loss
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Knecht closed Friday's 101-93 loss to the Thunder with 20 points (7-17 FG, 6-13 3Pt), six rebounds and four assists across 33 minutes.
The rookie led the Lakers in scoring as he continues to take on a bigger role in the offense. Knecht has started six of the last eight games and scored at least 14 points in each start, averaging 22.5 points, 5.5 boards and 4.8 threes in 34.0 minutes over those six outings.
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Lakers' Dalton Knecht: Leads Lakers in scoring
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Knecht posted 20 points (8-15 FG, 4-10 3Pt), eight rebounds, one assist and two steals across 31 minutes during Wednesday's 119-101 win over San Antonio.
Knecht led the Lakers in scoring ahead of LeBron James and Anthony Davis, and the rookie's role on offense continues to grow with each passing game. Knecht has been at his best when deployed in a starting role, as he's averaged 19.7 points per game while shooting 48 percent from three-point range in his six starts.
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Lakers' Dalton Knecht: Available vs. San Antonio
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Knecht (quadriceps) is starting Wednesday against the Spurs, according to Khobi Price of The Orange County Register.
Knecht was initially listed as questionable and then bumped to probable, so his availability isn't entirely surprising, although his move to the starting unit will undoubtedly shake things up following the 27-point loss against the Suns on Tuesday. The rookie out of Tennessee is averaging 14.0 points per game over his last 10 appearances (five starts).
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Lakers' Dalton Knecht: Retreats to bench Saturday
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Knecht is not in the Lakers' starting lineup for Saturday's game against the Nuggets, Khobi Price of The Orange County Register reports.
After starting in the Lakers' last four games, Knecht will revert to a reserve role Saturday due to Rui Hachimura (ankle) returning from a four-game absence. Knecht averaged 23.8 points and 4.8 rebounds over his last four starts, and while he is no longer starting, head coach JJ Reddick relayed Saturday that the rookie forward will see extended playing time off the bench, per Jovan Buha of The Athletic.
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Lakers' Dalton Knecht: Falls back to earth with 17 points
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Knecht recorded 17 points (7-14 FG, 3-7 3Pt), four rebounds and one assist over 39 minutes during Thursday's 119-118 loss to the Magic.
Knecht had a decent shooting night Thursday after wowing the crowds with a scintillating three-point barrage that drew praise from his All-Star teammates Tuesday. Now that Knecht has proven his worth, he will find himself in competition with Rui Hachimura (ankle) for playing time. It will be interesting to see how the first unit shakes out when Hachimura returns, and Cam Reddish could be the odd man out if coach JJ Redick chooses to ride with a stronger three-point threat.
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Lakers' Dalton Knecht: Sets new career high in points
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Knecht finished with 27 points (10-17 FG, 5-10 3Pt, 2-2 FT), seven rebounds, two assists and two steals across 37 minutes in Saturday's 104-99 win over the Pelicans.
Knecht continues to impress with his play and made the most of the third start of his career, taking advantage of the absences of both Rui Hachimura (ankle) and Cam Reddish (leg). The 27-point output was a career-best mark for the rookie, who also set new personal bests in field goals made while tying his mark for more threes in a single game. Knecht's place in the lineup will depend on Hachimura's return, but the rookie is doing everything in his power to continue seeing a sizable role in the rotation.
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Lakers' Dalton Knecht: Chips in 14 points vs. San Antonio
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Knecht logged 14 points (6-11 FG, 2-4 3Pt) and three rebounds over 26 minutes in Friday's 120-115 win over the Spurs.
Knecht made the second start of his NBA career Friday on the heels of a 19-point performance against the Grizzlies on Wednesday. The rookie first-round pick had just three points in his first start Nov. 6 against Memphis, but he had a more efficient outing this time around. Knecht could make his third career start Saturday against the Pelicans if Rui Hachimura continues to be sidelined due to a sprained right ankle.
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Lakers' Dalton Knecht: Getting starting nod
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Knecht is in the starting lineup for Friday's game versus the Spurs, Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times reports.
Knecht will replace Rui Hachimura (ankle) in the starting five Friday. Knecht recorded three points, four rebounds, two assists and one steal in 27 minutes during his only other start this season.
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Lakers' Dalton Knecht: Moves back to bench
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Knecht is not in the starting lineup for Friday's game against the 76ers, Jovan Buha of The Athletic reports.
Knecht made a spot start in the loss to the Grizzlies on Wednesday, posting three points, four rebounds and two assists in 27 minutes. He'll return to his regular role off the bench due to the return of Rui Hachimura (illness).