When it became official that JJ Redick would take the helm for the Los Angeles Lakers, he was raving about coaching one man. That was Austin Reaves. For many reasons, he saw himself vicariously living through the fan favorite on the floor. Redick loved his competitive edge and knew there was potential to take the next step. However, 14 games in, could the Lakers coach have a new favorite? Notably, it could be Dalton Knecht.

It’s never easy for a rookie to install himself in a lineup as adorned as the Lakers have and become an impact-maker. Tonight against the Jazz, the 23-year-old managed to outshine both LeBron James and Anthony Davis or to be frank any player on the floor. Since seeing the sharpshooter, Redick has always been high on how Knecht can impact the proceedings for the Lakers.

Now, some believe he is the exact archetype as JJ Redick was during his long NBA spell.

Specifically, WNBA forward Chiney Ogwumike boasted about Dalton Knecht being “special” while on SportsCenter. The rookie just scored 37 on a record 9 nine threes against the Utah Jazz to fuel a charged night at the Crypto.com arena. Apart from seeing him as the component that completes the Lakers, the Sparks forward also believes he is the second coming of the Lakers head coach.

“We all know that the final piece to complete their offense is three-point shooting and man that rookie is special. It’s funny. He is pretty much the embodiment of everything JJ Redick was on the floor. He is pretty much JJ’s clone. Fiercely competitive, a sniper. So you got AD at an MVP level. You got Bron who’s a walking triple-double. And now you have three-point shooting,” she said of the 2024-25 Lakers.

Laker Nation is starting to see it too. Some of the fans felt “HOW DID 16 TEAMS LET DALTON KNECHT BE COACHED BY JJ REDICK,” given their identical playstyles. As a star for Tennessee, the rookie did reveal watching many tapes of his head coach to understand movement and freeing himself up. 

Naturally, with an understanding of Redick’s game, Knecht and the coach are always seeing eye-to-eye. Redick pushes him to score the ball and crafts a place specifically for the rookie to succeed. “Hate to keep mentioning cuz.. but Darvin Ham would’ve had Dalton Knecht simmering on the bench “paying his dues” Like I said.. JJ Redick sees himself in Knecht and that matters a lot here,” a fan wrote. 

JJ Redick, the Lakers already trust Dalton Knecht

From the first time, Redick saw the Tennessee rookie in practice, he wanted to put him in a place to score. A part of it was the experience he had in college, where the 23-year-old played all three years. “A lot of good things,” he told the coaches beside him after seeing his instincts. Soon, that began translating into games.

Around the room, there is a sense that Knecht is going to be ‘big’ for the Lakers this season. Even Anthony Davis, the frontal star for the Lakers is backing on Knecht. “Every time he shoots the ball, I think it’s going in. That’s why we get so frustrated and upset when he doesn’t shoot,”. he told the media. 

Since becoming a starter, the encouragement from his teammates has paved the way for supreme results. Dalton Knecht is averaging 20 points when starting and shooting over 50% from three. Additionally, a lot of the X’s and O’s Redick runs are circulating around the first-round pick.

It could be because the once renowned sharpshooters see similar qualities within him and Knecht. Additionally, before even making it to the NBA, he had a seal of approval from LeBron James, who has since had no problems leaning on Knecht.

They did so against the Grizzlies when Anthony Davis picked up early foul trouble. “AD (Anthony Davis) got in foul trouble, and our first-round pick hit a hot streak. He looked like he was back at Tennessee, so we leaned on him,” the Akron Hammer said then.

One thing that’s clear is the Lakers want Knecht to thrive because when that happens, their offense runs smoothly. Furthermore, he loves to challenge himself, taking on duties that push him to his limits. Whether it’s being engaged on defense or getting rebounds, Knecht is willing to do the most important thing needed to win games – compete.