Dalton Knecht’s Confidence Crisis: Lakers Rookie Searching for Answers Amid Early Struggles
The Los Angeles Lakers didn’t expect to call Dalton Knecht’s number so early in Saturday night’s game against the Clippers, but with key rotation players sidelined, the rookie was pressed into action. What followed was another reminder that the talented scorer is still trying to find his footing at the NBA level - and much of that battle seems to be happening between the ears.
Knecht, the 24-year-old first-round pick from the 2024 draft, entered the night averaging 6.0 points, 1.8 rebounds, and 0.6 assists in just under 15 minutes per game. On paper, those numbers don’t jump off the page, and the advanced metrics haven’t been kind either - replacement-level value by VORP, and well below average in win shares per 48 minutes. For a rookie who came into the league with a mature scoring profile and high expectations, the adjustment has been rockier than anticipated.
The Lakers knew Knecht wasn’t going to be a defensive stopper - that’s not his game. But the hope was that his scoring would be enough to keep him on the floor.
So far, that hasn’t materialized. And during Saturday’s first quarter, longtime Lakers analyst Stu Lantz voiced what many fans were already thinking after Knecht airballed a jumper.
“You can’t convince me otherwise,” Lantz said on the broadcast. “I think most of this is all in Dalton’s head. He’s just not mentally thinking about being the player that everybody knows that he is.”
That’s not just speculation. Knecht had actually connected on five of his last ten three-point attempts before Saturday’s game, pushing his season average to a respectable 35.6% from beyond the arc. That’s not bad, but for a player whose value is tied so heavily to his offense, “respectable” isn’t going to cut it - especially when the defense is still a work in progress.
The Lakers were hoping his recent 30-point outburst in the G League would serve as a turning point, a confidence boost that could carry over to the big club. But consistency remains elusive.
It doesn’t help that Knecht is still carrying the baggage from last season’s aborted trade - the one that briefly sent him to Charlotte in the Mark Williams deal before it was rescinded due to Williams failing his physical. That kind of emotional whiplash can linger, especially for a young player trying to prove he belongs.
On Saturday, Knecht’s opportunity came not because of a breakthrough in practice or a sudden surge in form, but because the Lakers were down four rotation players: Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura, Deandre Ayton, and Gabe Vincent were all sidelined. With the bench thin, Knecht got his chance. But the moment didn’t go his way.
In seven first-half minutes, he managed just two points and two rebounds. He missed his first two shots before finally getting an easy bucket right before halftime.
The Lakers, struggling to generate offense, were looking for someone - anyone - to give them a spark. Knecht had the chance, but the flame never caught.
This isn’t about effort. It’s not about talent either - Knecht’s scoring ability is real.
It’s what got him drafted in the first round. But right now, he’s playing like a guy who’s second-guessing himself, and in the NBA, hesitation is a killer.
Confidence is everything, especially for shooters, and Knecht’s seems to be hanging by a thread.
The Lakers need him - maybe not to be a 20-point-per-night guy right away, but at the very least to be a reliable scoring option off the bench. With the roster banged up and the Western Conference as competitive as ever, they can’t afford to carry dead weight. If Knecht can’t snap out of this mental funk, the front office may have to make a tough call before the February 5 trade deadline.
Still, there’s time. The tools are there.
The shot is there. What’s missing is the belief.
Unlocking Knecht’s potential might mean sending him back to the G League for a longer stretch - not as a demotion, but as a reset. Let him find his rhythm again, away from the bright lights and pressure of Staples Center. Let him remember what it feels like to be the guy on the court.
Because the Lakers didn’t draft Dalton Knecht to be a fringe rotation player. They drafted him to be a scorer - a weapon. And right now, that weapon is still stuck in the holster.