{"id":108052,"date":"2024-11-20T10:32:43","date_gmt":"2024-11-20T15:32:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=108052"},"modified":"2024-11-20T10:32:43","modified_gmt":"2024-11-20T15:32:43","slug":"dalton-knechts-career-night-brings-starting-lineup-dilemma","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2024\/11\/20\/dalton-knechts-career-night-brings-starting-lineup-dilemma\/","title":{"rendered":"Dalton Knecht\u2019s Career Night Brings Starting Lineup Dilemma"},"content":{"rendered":"

While appearing on FanDuel TV\u2019s \u201cRun It Back,\u201d former NBA players <\/span>Lou Williams<\/span><\/a> and Chandler Parsons<\/a> were asked whether Lakers rookie <\/span>Dalton Knecht<\/span><\/a> could keep his starting job once Rui Hachimura<\/a> returns from an ankle sprain. What they\u2014along with the rest of the country\u2014didn\u2019t know is that Knecht would have a historic performance against the Utah Jazz that night.<\/span><\/p>\n

The 17th overall pick recorded a rookie season record 37 points Tuesday, becoming only <\/span>the fourth Laker to drain nine threes in a game<\/span><\/a>. Following yet another career night in the starting lineup, has Knecht earned a spot with the starters upon Hachimura\u2019s return?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Dalton Knecht\u2019s Career Night Brings Starting Lineup Dilemma<\/b><\/h2>\n

Verdict From Williams and Parsons<\/b><\/h3>\n

Both Parsons and Williams agreed that <\/span>Knecht should head back to the bench<\/span><\/a> when Rui is ready to go, citing valid reasons. Williams, who spent the 2015-16 and part of 2016-17 seasons with the Lakers, said:<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe have an unwritten rule that you don\u2019t lose your job to injury. [Hachimura] should very much come back and have his job, especially by most accounts, they\u2019ve been successful with him in the starting lineup. If you\u2019re JJ, that exposed you to the fact that you found a rotation that works along with your original starting line since taking D\u2019Lo out\u2026.But again, now you know and now you have the flexibility to go to the bench and know you can put Dalton Knecht in there. He\u2019s gonna give you a different look in there than the other guys.\u201d<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Parsons added:<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI think it\u2019s good valuable reps for Dalton. I think Rui deserves that spot. They\u2019d been cooking with him in the starting lineup\u2026Dalton Knecht, he\u2019s gonna play 20, 25 minutes regardless, and I do think when you surround LeBron James with shooting, it makes him even that much better\u2026It\u2019s a good luxury to have, just to have this rookie to plug and play and be able to play with any group and know the sets\u2026There\u2019s gonna be certain games where he plays a lot more minutes, there\u2019s gonna be certain games that he gets the rookie treatment\u2014he gets eight minutes, he\u2019s in the dog house. That\u2019s gonna happen throughout his growth.\u201d<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Williams noted that bringing Knecht back to the bench would also relieve him of any high standards set by Lakers fans, as well as the backlash that would happen if he hits a rookie wall.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Case for Dalton Knecht\u2019s Starting Job<\/b><\/h3>\n

Following Knecht<\/a>\u2019s breakout performance, he\u2019s up to <\/span>20.3 points per game<\/span><\/a> on 57% from the field and 51% from three-point range in four games as a starter. With <\/span>Hachimura possibly back within the next week<\/span><\/a>, many are wondering how his return will impact Knecht and the effect he\u2019s had on the first unit with <\/span>LeBron James<\/span><\/a> and <\/span>Anthony Davis<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

So it feels like Dalton Knecht is swiping Rui Hachimura's job right before our eyes.<\/p>\n

I think they have to improve on the Cam Reddish spot if they want to make playoff noise, but Knecht's shooting has really unlocked some stuff offensively for the other starters.<\/p>\n

— Sam Quinn (@SamQuinnCBS) November 20, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n