Former Tennessee Vols star Dalton Knecht makes his debut with the Lakers on Saturday afternoon
Dalton Knecht taking the floor in a Lakers jersey isn't exactly something that many folks would have expected to see, at least on Wednesday afternoon shortly before the NBA Draft got started last month. However, that's exactly how it ended up playing out for the former Tennessee standout on draft night. Knecht – a projected […]
Dalton Knecht taking the floor in a Lakers jersey isn't exactly something that many folks would have expected to see, at least on Wednesday afternoon shortly before the NBA Draft got started last month. However, that's exactly how it ended up playing out for the former Tennessee standout on draft night.
Knecht – a projected top 10 pick – fell all the way to the Los Angeles Lakers at 17 after concerns allegedly rose about his age. However, it's a place where Knecht will certainly have the opportunity to build a name for himself on the biggest stage on all of basketball.
That first opportunity came on Saturday afternoon, as the NBA Summer League kicked off between the Lakers and the Sacramento Kings, which the latter won 108-94.
Knecht started the game showing off his versatility, firing a long pass downcourt for an easy slam by teammate Maxwell Lewis for the game's first points.
However, he quickly learned a nuance between college basketball and the NBA the hard way in the first quarter. He was whistled for a defensive three second call after remaining with his foot in the paint beyond the three second limit.
It wasn't a great shooting day for Knecht. He went 3-12 from the field and 5-9 from the free throw line. However, he did manage to drain his first three pointer late in the first half.
Knecht finished with 12 points, 4 assists, 2 rebounds, and 2 steals across 26 minutes. LeBron' James' son Bronny, the other draft pick from last month's draft, had 4 points on 2 of 9 shooting across 22 minutes.
Knecht, James, and the Lakers will get a shot at improvement quickly, as the Lakers take on the Golden State Warriors on Sunday at 6:30 pm ET from San Francisco.
