Dalton Knecht is turning out to be the top contender for steal of the 2024 NBA Draft.
The Los Angeles Lakers didn’t have a top pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, but they seemingly hit the goldmine with the No. 17 pick.
The 17-time NBA champion used it to select 23-year-old Tennessee star Dalton Knecht.
Although the decision was met with heavy criticism, Knecht is proving his doubters wrong early in the 2024-25 NBA season.
Dalton Knecht leads the Lakers to a dominant win
The LA Lakers made an excellent start to the 2024 NBA Cup with a 120-115 win against the San Antonio Spurs. They followed it up with another dub, this time around vs. the Utah Jazz.
While LeBron James and Anthony Davis were at their usual dominant selves, Lakers rookie Dalton Knecht had the best performance of his young NBA career.
He finished the night with 37 points and 5 rebounds. Knecht shot lights out from deep as he ended the game with a 9-12 shooting display from the three-point line.
The young Lakers star tied the franchise record for making the most three-pointers by a rookie. Knecht is obviously a polished shooter, and now it’s upon the team to utilize him to his full potential.
Laker fans go gaga over Knecht
For a long time, the Lakers have been highly reliant on the AD-LBJ duo to win games. However, the Purple and Gold stars are getting multiple chances to rest during the game, thanks to the likes of Dalton Knecht.
Speaking of the 23-year-old, he impressed the Laker Nation with his 37-point outing and they all want to see him lift the NBA Rookie of the Year trophy this season.
One fan said: “Lakers really got the best rookie of the draft for no. 17 pick?!”
Another added: “Lakers found the next Klay Thompson. I’M OUT.”
Multiple fans made the case for Knecht’s chances of becoming the ROTY.
“Lakers got a great rookie.”
“ROOKIE OF THE YEAR. It’s not a debate.”
“How about ROTY talks.”
A fan also called out franchises who passed on Knecht because of his age: “Other teams didn’t want to draft him because they said he’s too old? What a miss.”
The former Tennessee star has undoubtedly left a mark in his rookie year. He has become a fan-favorite and as the season progresses, it’ll be exciting to see his development.
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