Tue Nov 19 2024

The Lakers are riding a five-game winning streak, with a very good chance to make it six tonight at home against the 3-10 Utah Jazz. So while the hot start—the Lakers wake up Tuesday morning as the 3rd seed in the West—has fans rightly excited, it's not all they're talking about. First-rounder Dalton Knecht has, after a shaky start, grown red hot as a shooter. This, of course, is what he was drafted to do, but adjusting to the NBA, even for the most talented rookies, is a challenge. For most players, it takes a little time. And it's too early to say that a weekend's worth of good games from Knecht, inserted into the starting lineup thanks to an injury to Rui Hachimura, has fully adjusted and "arrived," so to speak. But with Knecht shooting over 50% from three in his last four games, and his overall percentages improving, it's not too early to recognize the impact he's capable of having on the team. Would the Lakers be better off getting him into the starting lineup? Generally...