Dalton Knecht Acknowledges Rust In First Game Of Summer League

Entering Year 2, all eyes were on Dalton Knecht as the Los Angeles Lakers kicked off their California Classic schedule against the host team the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center.

Normally second-year players are levels above the competition given their NBA experience and the lack preparation and practice time for the quickly-formed Summer League squads. However, Knecht had a rough performance in the Lakers’ loss to the Warriors as he shot a poor 3-of-13 from the field and missed all six of his 3-point attempts.

It was a disappointing showing from Knecht who could be in line for a bigger role this upcoming season for Los Angeles. Knecht had plenty of quality open looks against Golden State, but couldn’t get it going.

Following the loss, Knecht said he wanted to shake off the rust and expressed how proud he was of his teammates.

“Took a while for me to get going, I mean I didn’t get going at all. Just gotta come out ready to play better tomorrow and come out with more confidence, shake off the rust.

“And then as a team, I think my teammates were great. They all came out competing, picking up full court, rebounding, crashing the glass hard. I’m proud of my teammates and they did great.”

The ebbs and flows of a scorer like Knecht can be frustrating to watch, but it’s important to remember that he also started out slow in last year’s California Classic before heating up in the Las Vegas Summer League. As a rhythm player, Knecht is capable of getting hot in a hurry and given this was the team’s first game it’s worth exercising patience.

Los Angeles has been openly looking to upgrade their roster via the trade market and Knecht is often singled out as a potential trade piece because of his youth and upside. However, the Lakers should still be invested in his development as he is a outside shooter with the ability to create his own shot.

Los Angeles is set to take on the Miami Heat, so hopefully Knecht can recalibrate himself and show why he’s worth keeping around.

Dalton Knecht doing 3-a-day workouts this offseason

Dalton Knecht had a rollercoaster of a rookie season, so there is plenty of motivation for him to work on his game and earn a role in the rotation next season. In preparation for the 2025-26 season, Knecht has been doing 3-a-day workouts to better round out his game.