Why Dalton Knecht Cannot Fall Out Of Lakers Rotation

In the 2012 NBA Finals, small forward Shane Battier was an essential contributor as James captured his first NBA championship. In the 2013 NBA Playoffs, Hall of Fame shooting guard Ray Allen made one of the biggest shots of both of their careers, helping James win his second championship. When he returned to the Cleveland Cavaliers and won his third championship, maturing wing J.R. Smith was a key starter. During the Lakers last championship run, both Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Danny Green started throughout the playoffs.

Sure, Doncic is the future of the Lakers. Rob Pelinka would probably like people to believe that he’s the current face of the franchise. But James is the one with four NBA MVP awards and four NBA championships, four more than Doncic has in either category. He’s the one that players are going to look to in the huddle if they make it back to the NBA Finals.

So, why go away from an archetype that’s been incredibly valuable during his title-winning seasons?

Corner Boys

Corner boys, as they’re known colloquially, have a dramatic effect on the geometry of the court. They’re like cheat codes for spacing, as they can make defenses look silly for overhelping or going into a zone. They’re also relatively easy for facilitators to find when they penetrate the lane.

With that in mind, Hachimura has shown he can excel in the same corners that Battier, Allen, Smith, Caldwell-Pope and Green thrived in. Indeed, he’s knocked down 39.5 percent of career corner 3s. Reaves has made 37.6 percent of his career corner 3s, though his efficiency from the left (31.5 percent) and right (45.2 percent) are as different as night and day. LaRavia has converted a sparkling 41.9 percent of his corner 3s and is particularly effective on the left side (43.2 percent).

Yet, Knecht has been even better. In his rookie season, he made 42.5 percent of his right corner 3s and 43.9 percent of his left corner 3s.

The Last Word On Dalton Knecht

There’s a reason why Knecht was in the Rookie of the Year race in the first half of the season. He’s effective above the break, can knock down middies, get to the rim and create for others. He has a microwave badge and could realistically go for 20+ points with 3+ 3-pointers in any given game. He did so on seven occasions in 2024-25.

The shift in the discourse surrounding Knecht could cause whiplash. Truly, NBA fans are fickle creatures. Just consider that he was actually better from long-distance in the second half of the season, shooting 40.7 percent from 3 post-All-Star Break versus 36.0 percent from 3 pre-All-Star Break.

Still, there are real problem areas that he has to address.

Getting Defensive

Knecht’s play at the other end is the most glaring issue, especially if he’s going to be on the perimeter with Doncic and Reaves, who nobody considers plus-defenders.

One way in which he could improve is by increasing his defensive IQ, as he had a tendency to ball-watch. With that being said, he needs to spend ample time doing film study, upping his recognition of opposing team and player tendencies. As he may never have an ideal level of lateral agility, this could also help him be a proactive defender who beats players to their spots (or just meets them there on time) thanks to his anticipation. Another way he can evolve defensively is by consistently getting into his defensive stance, which will help prevent him being taken out of plays by crossovers.

All of that being said, anyone saying that there’s no hope for Knecht defensively is exaggerating. Frankly, he made several highlight defensive plays last season. He just needs to do so more consistently.