Thought Starter...
Don’t look now, but...
In a town that has seen its share of “manias” around young, exciting players (Fernandomania, Nomomania, and so on) we’re probably one more big game from full blown Knectomania in Los Angeles. Dalton Knecht, who entered Tuesday’s game against Utah at the Crypt riding a bigtime hot streak, got even hotter. He finished with 37 points on a cartoonish 9-11 from 3-point range.
He was so hot, and energizing the crowd to such an extent, that the Lakers seemed to lose their flow in the second half, because they were trying so hard to get him the ball following a flurry of makes in the third quarter.
With the win, the Lakers remain unbeaten at home, unbeaten in the history of the In-Season Tournament/NBA Cup, and push their record to 10-4. That’s all good. Anthony Davis played well, so did LeBron James. Fabulous! But let’s be honest - nobody cares. The night was about Knecht, and all the (legitimately) fun questions fans can start asking themselves, and the ways in which they can let the collective imagination run wild.
Because the Lakers have one of “those guys.” Meaning a true shooting threat that will either alter how teams defend the Lakers (and make things easier for guys like Davis, LeBron, Austin Reaves, and anyone else sharing a court with him) or punish them for not making those adjustments. Likely, the league will very quickly tighten up on Knecht, and that’s fine. The Lakers will still benefit. If Knecht keeps up high end shooting (somewhere in the 40s, as opposed to the 82% he shot on Tuesday) it will open up tons of stuff for JJ Redick and his offense, and add an important energy to every building he enters.
The Lakers have now worked through a soft part of the calendar, and will face a few tougher tests in the games ahead. But at 10-4, they’ve got some wiggle room that will undoubtedly come in handy over the course of the season.
