Why Dalton Knecht could win Rookie of the Year with Hornets

The immediate fallout of the deal for Knecht is that he could be looking at quite a sizable role for Charlotte. While he may no longer have the privilege of suiting up for a competitive playoff-caliber team, he now has the opportunity to play with a certain level of freedom and aggression that was never really possible in Los Angeles. 

With guys like Brandon Miller and Grant Williams already being ruled out for the year, the Hornets should be eager to see what they have with Knecht. Knecht’s only real competition on the wing being players like Josh Green, Nick Smith Jr, and Isaiah Wong, Knecht should have no problem securing a starting role.

At multiple different junctures throughout the season, Knecht has already shown off his unique ability to catch fire from distance, most notably lighting up the Utah Jazz for 37 points and nine three-pointers. If Knecht can quickly get acclimated with the Hornets’ offensive system and schemes, and more importantly build a rapport with LaMelo Ball, he could start to put forth some eye-popping scoring numbers.

Ball and Miles Bridges are going to get their numbers for the Hornets — assuming they stay off the injury report — but Knecht being good for 15 to 20 points a night for the remainder of the season should not be beyond the realm of possibility. And in a rookie class that continues to showcase its lack of star power, a strong second half to Knecht’s season could be enough for him to swoop in and "steal" some hardware. Whether it be Kel’el Ware of the Miami Heat, Stephon Castle — who’s Rookie of the Year case just took a big hit following the Spurs’ acquisition of De’Aaron Fox — or Jaylen Wells of the Memphis Grizzlies, no one seems to have a stranglehold on the award. With Knecht now set to be in much more of a featured role in Charlotte, don’t be surprised if he makes a late dark-horse run at Rookie of the Year honors.