As the Lakers vs Wolves’ first preseason matchup is winding down to its final minutes, rookie Dalton Knecht and the 2022 second-round pick, Max Christie are already making a case for themselves. A lot of fans were unhappy that Coach Redick opted to sideline stars, LeBron James and Anthony Davis, but right now, it’s all about Knecht and Christie. Although too small a sample size, everything we are seeing out of the “young” veterans is certainly putting them in the good books. And then we have Bronny James…

As the Wolves took home the first win of the preseason, Dalton Knecht emerged as a key piece off the bench, tied with Austin Reaves (16) for most points in the team. Christie, for his part, had 11 points and seven rebounds. Perhaps a key question after tonight is whether Bronny can secure a spot in JJ’s nine-man rotation after a lackluster start, finishing with just 2 points and 3 blocks.

The former sharpshooter had already made it clear that it was what he wanted. “I think to win now in today’s NBA, you need seven or eight players that really impact winning,” the Duke alum mentioned before media day (via Los Angeles Times). And that meant the 40-year-old already had his starting five ready to hit the ground running. During the State of the Franchise Conference, JJ revealed who they were: LeBron James, Anthony Davis, D’Angelo Russell, Rui Hachimura, and Austin Reaves.

All that’s left now is to figure out the four. And the preseason ground is certainly a great place to figure that out. Given Dalton and Max’s strong showing tonight, there is no doubt they will make it to the rotation. Gabe Vincent, too, stepped up, as he drained 11 points, going 4-of-6 from the field and 2-of-4 from downtown. Not to mention, he finished as a +1 for the team in the 15 minutes he was on the floor.

Moreover, Purple & Gold currently has three injured players – Cam Reddish, Jarred Vanderbilt, and Christian Wood – who will be included in the rotation once they return. Furthermore, Jalen Hood-Schifino had a solid performance with 6 points, 4 rebounds, and 6 assists. That’s already A LOT of players who have proved they deserve a place in the rotation. So, where does that leave Bronny James?

On the bench. There is also the possibility that James will probably move to the G League. Unless he steps up his game. Often known for his affinity towards player development, JJ Redick has branded LeBron’s son as “test case no.1,” while making it clear, “He can do some things defensively at his size that are really unique and I think can turn into a really disruptive defender.” While nobody’s denying the hooper’s potential, will he have the space in the team even if he ups his game? For now, Dalton Knecht is the hero.

Dalton Knecht dazzles in preseason opener captivating fans, iconic ‘dad, who is’ meme emerges

Rob Pelinka was giddy with excitement as they got Dalton Knecht during this year’s draft. “We would have never imagined a player as skilled and perfect for our needs would be there [at 17],” he said excitedly during the post-draft presser. A skilled sniper- signing the youngster was the Lakers’ way of taking care of their glaring weakness – shooting.

And the fans agree! “Steal of the Draft,” tweeted @LakersEmpire, a Lakers highlight creator, per bio. Now, you might say that being a Lakers fan, they are obviously going to say that. But you might want to take a look at this three-point running jump shot on a Max Christie assist.

They followed it up with yet another glowing praise. “Knecht surprised me tonight. Really thought he wasn’t go off like this in his first NBA game,” followed by a crying-a-river emoji, clearly overcome with emotion at how good he was. But perhaps the most creative was another Lakers fan page. ‘Lakers Lead’ tweeted the Vince McMahon crying meme with the caption, “Dad, who is Dalton Knecht?”

Having become popular last November, the particular shot is originally from the 2020 documentary, Undertaker: The Last Ride, in which the WWE co-founder started tearing up when he was asked what Mark William Calaway (a.k.a. The Undertaker) meant to him and the WWE.

The next two are those of Christie. The first one, is a clip where he goes for a two-point cutting dunk, putting the Lakers up by 2 points during the third quarter. Captioned, “MAX CHRISTIE WITH THE POSTER,” the 21-year-old certainly looks like he is making good on his word.

And finally, this last one tweeted, “BUY YOUR MAX CHRISTIE STOCK,” followed by two graph emojis. Fans have great hopes of this being Christie’s breakout season. Well, what do you think? Can Bronny James convince JJ Redick to put him in the said ‘nine-man rotation’ over the others? Or will he have to take a backseat? Let us know in the comments.

Before leaving, do watch the Dual Threat Show hosted by BG12 where Bulldogs’ Asia Avinger details her experience with Kobe Bryant, her WNBA ROTY picks, and more in the video below.