Apr 4, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) gets an elbow in the face as he is defending New Orleans Pelicans center Yves Missi (21) in the second half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Luka Doncic's Honest Dalton Knecht Statement After Lakers-Pelicans

Originally posted on New Orleans Pelicans on SI
By Liam Willerup | Last updated Apr 5, 2025 11:20 PM ET

While the New Orleans Pelicans season is basically over after Zion Williamson was ruled out for the rest of the season and they were eliminated from playoff contention, one of their last games of the year came on Friday night against the Los Angeles Lakers. With the Lakers looking to improve their conference positioning, they showed out on the court.

The Lakers cruised to a 124-108 victory over the Pelicans led by a 35-point performance from Luka Doncic and 30 points from Austin Reaves. In a game that allowed Los Angeles to go to their bench, rookie Dalton Knecht played 20 minutes and added 12 points. After the game, Doncic shared his thoughts on Knecht's performance and attitude with the situation he's in.

Luka Doncic on Dalton Knecht: "He didn't play one or two games. He stayed ready. It's big respect for him for that. And everybody sees that." #Lakeshow
— LoJo Media (@LoJoMedia) April 5, 2025

"He didn't play one or two games. He stayed ready," Doncic shared about Knecht. "It's big respect for him for that. And everybody sees that."

There's no doubt that this season has been less than ideal for Knecht. Not even for the fact that he's dealt with inconsistent playing time with the Lakers, but that he was traded away at the deadline and then brought back after the deal was vetoed. However, it appears he's handled it like a professional and might've earned some more playing time with his recent performance.

Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

With some big games coming up against the Oklahoma City Thunder and Houston Rockets to close out the year, Knecht has a chance to further earn a spot in the rotation for the Lakers as they head into the playoffs.

This article first appeared on New Orleans Pelicans on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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