Dalton Knecht is set to face LeBron James in the All-Star game. The Los Angeles Lakers rookie was part of ‘Team C’ — who defeated the G-League squad in the final of the Rising Stars game. As such, Knecht and the rest of ‘Team C’ will now face Shaquille O’Neal’s ‘OG Squad’ on Sunday.
When speaking to the media after the game, Knecht shared his thoughts on facing his superstar teammate during the All-Star event.
“It might be a lot of fun. I get to play against (LeBron), right? So I get to play against one of my teammates and try to make a statement,” Knecht said.
Knecht has had a turbulent few weeks. He was initially traded by the Lakers in the deal that would have sent Mark Williams to Los Angeles. However, Rob Pelinka rescinded that deal after Williams failed a medical. Therefore, Knecht was unable to team up with the Charlotte Hornets, instead returning to the Lakers.
Despite his difficult few weeks, Knecht has made a significant impact this season. He joined JJ Redick’s team as the 17th overall draft pick this summer. In 49 games, Knecht is averaging 9.4 points, 3 rebounds and 0.9 assists while shooting 46.4% from the field and 36% from deep.
LeBron James Previously Praised Lakers’ Knecht
During a Nov. 19 win over the Utah Jazz, Knecht dropped a team-high 37 points. His scorching hot performance quickly led to praise from LeBron during his postgame news conference.
“They didn’t ‘find’ DK,” James said. “The other 16 teams f***ed it up. Did anybody watch him? S**t. They just didn’t f–k it up. You don’t ‘find’ a SEC Player of the Year.”
Knecht will now be hoping to rediscover that magic during the All-Star game. He will undoubtedly want to make a statement against his veteran teammate while also proving that he should never have been put in trade discussions in the first place.
Lakers’ Knecht Praises Luka Doncic
The upside of not being traded to the Hornets at the Feb. 6 trade deadline is that Knecht will now share the court with both LeBron and Luka Doncic. The rookie got his first taste of playing alongside the Lakers newest superstar during the 119-131 loss to the Utah Jazz on Wednesday, Feb. 12.
“The passes that he was making out there, it’s crazy,” Knecht said about Doncic. “They told me first thing back is no matter what, when [Doncic] has the ball, be ready to shoot. He’s going to get it to you, no matter what. And seeing a couple passes to [Austin Reaves], [LeBron James] — he wasn’t even looking. So it was crazy. I’m excited.”
The addition of Doncic likely means the Lakers front office will be focused on building a contending team for the future. Knecht could feature in those plans. After all, he’s proving to be a high-level perimeter threat, both off the catch and off the dribble. Therefore, working with Redick, day in and day out, is likely one of the best-case scenarios for Knecht, even if he’s been forced to swallow his pride after the failed trade.
Fortunately for Knecht, he has a chance to take out some of those frustrations on Sunday.
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