“I’ve been working with him for over two months now and, you know, I love that guy.” Through LeBron James’s remark, it was made clear that Dalton Knecht had created a good impression right from the start. Being the other rookie acquisition of the Lakers, the 23-year-old has been setting himself as the opposite of Bronny, using the opportunities coming to him to deliver high-scoring performances. None of them, however, have come barely close to the monstrous game that the rookie had against the Suns, causing JJ Redick to give him his flowers.

During the post-game press conference, the new Lakers head coach did not waste any time in discussing the man of the hour. Describing what so many attendees at the Footprint Center saw as an “incredible performance”, Redick revealed having a conversation about Knecht’s prowess and shooting ability with his assistant coaches. While the latter group of people weren’t as confident about what the rookie could deliver, the 40-year-old took a chance, and it paid off.

“He’s got no fear, he’s not afraid of a moment,” said Redick. “That was a show he put on, and my assistants tried to tell me not to put him back in the game with four minutes to go so, I’m going to get them afterwards, I tell you that.”

The 23-year-old rookie played a big role in the Lakers’ 128-122 win against the Suns by making a whopping 35 points in the span of 32 minutes! The same was made possible by Knecht going 10-18 from the field, 8-13 from three, and 7-8 from the free throw line. He kept the ball at his side at all times, adding only 1 turnover and 1 personal foul during the stint. A major part of Knecht’s scoring burst came with just 1:23 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter when he delivered two consecutive three-pointers to tie the game at 111-111 and send it into overtime.

The Overtime saw him making two additional free throws, three more three-pointers, and a layup as Devin Booker and his squad kept toe to toe with their rivals. Since Dalton Knecht scored 35 points against the Suns, continuing to play him would have been amongst the best coaching decisions that Redick may have made till this point. For all the talk from critics about him becoming the Lakers HC despite having no prior coaching experience, Knecht’s milestone is an indirect victory for Redick as well.

“Reggie (Miller) and I were talking before the game and he was like, ‘It’s high praise to say he’s in the top 1% of shooters …’ Well, nah, he’s in the top 1%. … That was supernatural what he just did,” said Redick after the game.

Today, Dalton Knecht became more than the 17 overall pick of the Los Angeles Lakers. He became someone who has the potential to go against the best of the best in the sport. As a result, the player is now emerging from the game with high praise, from both teammates and rivals alike.

LeBron James, Skip Bayless, and Devin Booker sent out their praise to Dalton Knecht after career-high performance

It’s not every day that one gets a shoutout from LeBron James. After what Dalton Knecht did, however, it became obvious that LeBron wouldn’t waste too much time in sending his flowers to his teammate. Sure enough, soon after the game concluded, the 39-year-old took to his official Instagram account and highlighted the player’s stats on his story. While displaying the post would have been enough, the All-Time scorer also added a caption alongside it, that read “CANNON!!!!!… That boy COLD!!!!”

Given the fact that he is one of the biggest critics of LeBron James, not many would have expected Skip Bayless to react to Knecht’s stats. However, to the surprise of few, he did. Taking to his official X account, the 72-year-old handed the young star a new ‘moniker’, as he wrote “Lakers are loaded. AD was a feasting beast tonight. LeBron is 39 going on 25. When healthy, Lakers are SO DEEP – and Knecht the igniter WILL CONTRIBUTE. Still, I have my Thunder over Lakers in West finals.” Given their history and the fact that LeBron did not play, it’s hard to say whether Bayless’s ’39 going on 25’ remark could be considered praise or not.

If Dalton Knecht hadn’t scored high, Devin Booker may have been the man of the night. After all, keeping the unfortunate fall aside, the Suns star did make 22 points. In spite of how things turned out, Booker praised Knecht’s rise by stating, “Unbelievable. He can shoot the peel off the ball, and that opens up everything else for him.” He concluded the remark by adding, “I didn’t know much about him until Palm Springs, but definitely somebody that I have my eye on.”

What were your thoughts on Dalton Knecht’s performance? Let us know in the comments down below.

Before you go, remember to check out this crossover between BG12 and Georgia Bulldogs star Silas Demary Jr.