It’s been the month of Dalton Knecht in Los Angeles. In three of his last four games, the rookie out of Tennessee has made 5 threes or more. Team-wide, the Lakers have begun to universally trust him. “Getting a guy with a 17th pick that can play right away with our group is huge,” Redick said about Knecht. However, the shock wasn’t regarding a pick that late in the first round boasting such capabilities. Everyone wondered how the SEC Player of The Year was even available at that spot.

Among the teams that passed on him was the Utah Jazz, their opponents tonight who had the 10th pick in the draft. They felt the pain of their mistakes in grand fashion. Knecht scored 18 straight in the third quarter against them and hit nine threes in the game. All the 23-year-old could do then was shrug. It’s how Knecht also felt about dropping to the 17th spot while being perceived as a lottery pick.

“I would say a little bit. I did what I did in college. Lots of people said I was the best player,” he said after his career-high night against the Jazz in the NBA Cup. Luckily for him, there was a silver lining. Dalton Knecht entered a legacy franchise that sets the standards high and he got to play with some of his favorite players.

“So you know when I did fall it was alright because I landed in a great spot. I got to play with LeBron. I mean who can say that? Then also AD. I went to a great franchise and you know very blessed to be here,” said the 17th pick.

The Akron Hammer had spoken about Knecht months in advance. He reiterated his thoughts after the game. James still couldn’t comprehend how the 16 teams before didn’t observe the collegiate stud. “The other 16 teams f—ed it up. Did anybody watch him?” said James.

In the past, even Charles Barkley, a regular naysayer of the franchise berated NBA GMs for their decision. “Letting the Lakers get Dalton Knecht was one of the stupidest things I’ve ever seen,” he said. Now, the rookie is taking his opportunity and helping his side flourish like never before.

How Dalton Knecht is changing the Lakers

Go back to the past few seasons and around the NBA circles there had been one conversation around the Lakers. They need somebody who can shoot the ball efficiently to truly harness all of LeBron James’ powers. Well, the 39-year-old isn’t the key anymore, but rather Anthony Davis, who continues to play like an MVP. And Knecht being a part of the unit is helping JJ Redick have lethal scorers on every part of the floor.

Knecht currently ranks 38th in total three-pointers made this season. But Redick sees him as part of “the 1% of shooters”, elite enough to turn games around with his shoot-first mentality. Among those to have made 25 threes thus far, Knecht is 9th in efficiency, converting 46.4% of his shots.

In the absence of Rui Hachimura, he has earned a spot in the starting lineup over the past few games. And the results are forcing analysts to have conversations about keeping the rotations as is.

With him on the floor, the Los Angeles Lakers experience their beat offensive rating, 123.5 to be precise. Furthermore, their three-point percentage is only better with Rui Hachimura on the floor. Redick now has legitimate wing scorers who are shooting ferociously, complimenting the interior play of his star tandem.

The Lakers have won six in a row. Since Knecht moved to the starting lineup, they have won all four games and he has averaged 20.3 points on 4.3 triples made per game. That’s close to 3 more than when he came off the bench. Within just 14 games, his impact is significant enough for opponents to be vigilant of his presence on the floor.

If you were the Lakers, would you continue to keep him in the starting lineup? Let us know your views in the comments below.