Dalton Knecht wasted little time making his presence felt in a New York Knicks uniform.
In his debut Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden, the former VFL turned in a sharp 16-minute stint during New York’s 135-105 win over the Chicago Bulls. Knecht finished with 10 points on 4-of-6 shooting, knocked down 2-of-4 from three, added seven rebounds, one assist and one block, and capped the night with an electric put-back dunk.
After the game, Knicks head coach Mike Brown praised the way Knecht fit into the offense while also pointing to the areas that still need work.
“He’s a scorer. He’s not just a shooter.
Lot of people think he’s a shooter because he’s white,” New York head coach Mike Brown said after the game with a laugh. “I mean, I said it for you.
I hope I don’t get in trouble. I hope I don’t get in trouble.
But, I mean, he can go get it. He can shoot from range, he’s got a medium game, he can get to the rim.
He can pass. He’s got to work defensively and I thought tonight he tried to play within himself, contributed the best way he could.
There were a couple of things defensively that he could do a little better, and that’s what he’s got to really concentrate on. But I thought he gave us a nice little lift, especially offensively when he played toward the end of that first half.”
Knecht also described the way his game has developed.
“Just, like, a three-level scorer,” Knecht said after the game about how his game has evolved over time. “I think I just go out there and could impact the game at all three levels. And I just want to show the other side of the ball, getting the ball pressure and stuff like that, going in and grabbing defensive rebounds.”
The move to New York came after Knecht was waived by the Los Angeles Lakers just a few days before the start of the 2026-2027 basketball season. He signed a two-way deal with the Knicks shortly after and got his first chance to show what he can do in orange and blue on Wednesday.
And he looked nothing like a player searching for his footing. Knecht played with energy, attacked his chances, and made an impact on the boards for a Knicks team that just won the NBA Championship. In only 16 minutes, he came close to a double-double.
His time in Los Angeles never really felt like the full story. His production dipped, but the Lakers also never seemed to give him a real runway to settle in and find rhythm. Now entering his third season in the league, Knecht appears to have a fresh start in New York.
Last season with the Lakers, he appeared in 54 games and averaged 4.2 points, 0.4 assists and 1.4 rebounds. On Wednesday night, he matched that kind of opportunity with a much louder stat line: 10 points, one assist and seven rebounds in his Knicks debut.
In Other News...
Tennessee Just Got A Huge Edge In A Massive Kentucky Showdown
Saturday night at Neyland Stadium already had the feel of a measuring-stick game, and now Tennessee enters it with a clean bill of health on the current roster. The 13th-ranked Volunteers will host No. 6 Kentucky at 6:15 p.m. ET in an SEC rivalry matchup that carries real weight for both teams, with each still eyeing the playoff picture and knowing a win would do plenty for the rsum.
For Tennessee, the absence of any new injury changes matters as much as the ranking gap. The Vols are still dealing with six season-ending injuries, but otherwise look ready for a game that could reshape the league conversation, while Kentucky got a small boost of its own with defensive back Isaiah McMillian moving to probable after previously being listed as questionable. In a matchup this big, the margins are thin, and availability could end up being part of the story before the first snap even arrives. [Read more 🡒]
Tennessee Faces A Costly Problem At The Worst Time Against Kentucky
Penalty issues have been a recurring problem for Tennessee all season, and they come into this matchup with Kentucky needing a cleaner performance than the one that has too often followed them around. The Volunteers have been flagged 61 times and have given away too many yards in the process, a costly habit for a team trying to stay sharp in a rivalry game where every mistake can swing momentum.
Kentucky brings a different kind of challenge, one that shows up in the details. The Wildcats have been much better at avoiding self-inflicted damage and have built a strong turnover margin, while Josh Heupel has already pointed to the importance of Tennessee playing a disciplined game. Against an opponent that protects the football and limits mistakes, the margin for error is thin, and the Volunteers cannot afford another sloppy afternoon. [Read more 🡒]
Kim Caldwell Sees One Clear Issue Despite Tennessees 2-0 Start
Tennessee opened the season 2-0 and handled Coppin State 98-60, but Kim Caldwell still found room for a sharp critique in the aftermath. In her postgame interviews on MEAC Network TV and Vol Network radio, the Lady Vols coach pointed to the teams defensive adjustments, the play of younger pieces, and the early contributions from Kennedy Fauntleroy and Gabby Minus as reasons for optimism, even with the lopsided win in hand.
The bigger concern, Caldwell said, was the kind of issue that can linger long after a comfortable result: ball sharing, defense and shot selection. With a young roster still settling in, Tennessee has already shown it can overwhelm an opponent, but the next step is making those stretches more complete and more consistent, especially once the competition tightens and the margin for error shrinks. [Read more 🡒]