The past few weeks had seen Dalton Knecht sitting on a hypothetical roller coaster. The rookie saw himself emerging as one of the Lakers’ top prospects, before being traded to the Charlotte Hornets for Mark Williams. After Williams failed his physical, the trade was rescinded, and both Knecht and Cam Reddish returned to the Lakers. However, all this didn’t stop the player from putting on a good show during the recent All-Star game. As part of Candace Parker’s ‘Rising Stars’ roster, the 23-year-old led the squad and got himself tied for the lead in team scoring! Unfortunately, as eye-catching as Knecht’s performance was, it was still not enough to get JJ Redick interested in the All-Star Weekend.

The Lakers recently returned to practice after the All-Star Break, with their next matchup set to take place less than 24 hours from now. This gave the media a chance to engage JJ Redick in a Q&A session. Amidst the same, a reporter asked the Lakers head coach about Dalton’s display on the weekend.

Redick bluntly dropped a truth bomb by replying back “I didn’t watch any of that s—”. The head coach didn’t give a reason for this absence. However, he did indicate wanting to enjoy the break to the fullest. After all, Redick revealed utilizing a proper 10-hour sleep schedule during the break and catching up on personal things. It also allowed him to reflect on previous lapses, including the loss against the Utah Jazz. Therefore, prioritizing the need to secure wins during the regular season would have taken priority over the All-Star game.

“I didn’t……. (was) very disappointed,” said Redick about the loss against the Utah Jazz. “Not in a good place after the game, you know, and in reflection on that game and during the break, I didn’t think much of it. We were s—–, and I don’t think we’re going to be s—– when we’re holding the fort down”.

That said, Redick could have tuned in for a few minutes. If he did, he would have seen his star rookie making a memorable impression.

Being on the ‘Rising Stars’ roster meant that the 23-year-old was teamed up alongside other aspiring stars like San Antonio Spurs rookie standout Stephon Castle, and Memphis Grizzlies center Zach Edey. The competition did not make getting through the event any easier, as the ‘Rising Stars’ had to face ‘Shaq’s OGs’, aka the roster made up of star veterans like Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, etc.

Despite this, the youngsters managed to hold their own and lost by a close score of 35-42. Both Dalton Knecht and Ryan Dunn tied the team scoring with their 8 points. The Lakers rookie also recorded 2 rebounds. He made 2-4 three-pointers to establish his points total. This allowed Knecht’s three-point percentage to be higher than any of his teammates. After Knecht’s second trey tied the game at 24, the NBA All-Stars started pulling away. A 3-pointer by Damian Lillard put them over the target score of 40, preventing the young players from clinching the final glory. Nevertheless, Knecht’s performance was nothing short of admirable.

Going back to JJ, some might perceive his NSFW response to reflect how the NBA community has started to feel about the All-Star game. After all, changing the format was Adam Silver’s way to reportedly give a response to the declining viewership and criticism. Unfortunately, the recent All-Star Weekend didn’t do much to rectify the situation. Then again, one cannot solely blame the format for causing Redick to be disinterested. After all, he had made his plans known quite a while back.

JJ Redick revealed he prioritized finding a new home and coaching his children during All-Star Break

JJ Redick was amongst the unfortunate people who were affected by the Southern California fires that raged most of January. His home was reportedly destroyed after the flames hit the Eaton and Palisades area in LA County on January 7. Therefore, when a respite was finally given from the NBA’s regular season schedule, the 40-year-old looked to rectify the situation for his loved ones.

“My goal for All-Star break is that I finalize my insurance claims and that I find an apartment to live in,” said Redick during a presser almost a week ago. “That’s what I’m hoping for and to get out the hotel, that’ll be nice”.

Given everything that happened, Redick would have grown to appreciate his family even more. His first year as a head coach would have also taught him that time cannot be too flexible. Therefore, the Lakes coach also revealed, “I’m going to tell my staff, don’t f——- talk to me the next two days. If you need something over the weekend, I’ll be back in the office Monday. … I’m coaching my kids this weekend. I’ll be with my family. It’ll be nice.”

The Lakers currently hold the 5 seed on the Western Conference table. That number can change over the coming days, with other teams looking to get back into the groove of things. Fortunately, the Lakers will have a rejuvenated JJ Redick to guide them.