Although Knecht’s shots weren’t falling, he did manage to get open in a variety of ways — mostly off dribble-hand-offs and curls. Through his first two summer league games, Knecht is just 2-of-15 (13.3%) on jumpers.
“Just being patient with it,” Lakers summer league coach Dane Johnson said about Knecht’s struggles. “It’s a long summer league. It’s going to come. He’s a great player, so I’m not worried about him missing some of the shots he’s taking. He’s a great shooter. Let the game come to him. There are some [flashes] where you see that he’s got it.”
Knecht’s shooting struggles could be as simple as just shots not falling. In his final collegiate season at Tennessee, Knecht became an All-American in large part due to his incredible shotmaking, en route to averaging 21.7 points per game. Knecht was elite on catch-and-shoot 3-pointers (42.3% per Synergy) and hit his lone shot from distance in that exact way.
The No. 17 overall pick from the 2024 NBA Draft out of Tennessee was a consensus top-10 pick in the weeks and days leading up to the draft before sliding out of the lottery on draft night. The Lakers have yet to make a roster acquisition via free agency or trade, which could open the door for Knecht to be an immediate contributor in the rotation for first-year head coach JJ Redick.
The Lakers will play one final game in the California Classic against the Miami Heat on Wednesday before departing to Las Vegas for the second-leg of summer league.
