LA player JJ Redick still believes in him

LOS ANGELES – With seven players out on the injury report, Monday’s game against the Portland Trail Blazers presented an opportunity for some of the team’s rarely used players. Los Angeles Lakers‘ reinforcement list. One of those players in particular was Dalton Knechtthe Lakers’ 2024 first-round draft pick and the player whose head coach he is JJ Redick did not lose confidence in.

Against the Blazers, Dalton Knecht came off the Lakers bench end with the climax of the season 16 points in 25 minutes. After the game, JJ Redick explained how this play could be something Knecht can build on as the season progresses.

“I think he can build on this. I mean, it wasn’t a perfect game, but he had a really good move. And it wasn’t just shooting. It was playing with some tenacity, getting out in transition,” Redick said. “I just continue to believe in him as a player and I understand that it’s going to be a process with him. And he understands that, I talk about it all the time. I have very high confidence in him.”

Knecht may not have shot the ball very effectively against the Blazers (5-of-13 from the field, 2-of-8 from three-point range), but he provided a spark for the Lakers with an extremely short-handed second night from the guard.

The 17th overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, Knecht’s rookie season with the Lakers has been anything but smooth. He began the year as an integral part of the rotation, dropping a career-high 37 points in just his 14th NBA game.

But Knecht was traded to the Charlotte Hornets at the trade deadline, only to have his contract voided and return to the Lakers’ roster. After the deadline fiasco, he was never able to find a consistent rhythm again.

During the NBA Summer League, he struggled a bit, causing concern among Lakers fans. But during media day, Redick suggested that Knecht’s summer league struggles were largely due in part to his intense workout routine after the Lakers were eliminated in the playoffs by the Minnesota Timberwolves.

As a rookie, Knecht appeared in 78 games, including 16 starts, logging just over 19 minutes per game. He averaged 9.1 points and 2.8 rebounds while shooting 46.1 percent from the field, 37.6 percent from the three-point line and 76.2 percent from the free throw line.

While the 2025-26 season is still young, Knecht has been out of the rotation except for the Blazers game when he was needed. With The Lakers are hoping for reinforcements during the upcoming road tripit will be interesting to see if the Blazers game affects his playing time.