Los Angeles Lakers forward Dalton Knecht wowed fans in his NBA G-League debut on Tuesday night with a stellar performance that included a must-see dunk.
The second-year pro scored 30 points on 10/17 (59%) shooting, including six made 3-pointers for the South Bay Lakers. He also grabbed five rebounds and made two assists in 36 minutes.
His biggest highlight came late in the first quarter, when he drove down the lane and rose up for a dunk over San Diego Clippers guard Jahmyl Telfort.
He’s appeared in 20 games with the Los Angeles Lakers so far in his second season, averaging 6.4 points, 1.9 rebounds and 0.6 assists. He’s shooting 47.1% from the field and 36.2% from 3-point range.
Knecht was selected 17th overall by the Lakers in the 2024 NBA Draft out of the University of Tennessee. He appeared in 78 games for the Lakers last season as a rookie, including 16 starts. He averaged 9.1 points, 2.8 rebounds and shot 46.1% from the field.
Knecht has seen his minutes decrease from his rookie season. He’s averaging 15.1 minutes per game this season after getting 19.2 per night as a rookie.
He played just one minute in the Lakers’ 132-119 loss to the San Antonio Spurs on Dec. 10. The second-year pro hasn’t played at least 20 minutes in an NBA game since a 119-95 Lakers win against the Milwaukee Bucks on Nov. 15.
The G-League assignment could help Knecht build confidence and become more comfortable at the professional level. He could provide wing depth and a scoring boost for the Lakers (18-7), who are third in the Western Conference.
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