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Dalton Knecht Discussion: Summer League - The Struggle Is Real

Discussion in 'Lakers Discussion' started by JSM, Jun 26, 2024.

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Juronimo - Lakers Starter -

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karacha said: ↑

^

Of course. The mentality is usually completely different for those two skillsets -- shooting and lockdown defense. Great shooters (think Steph Curry, Ray Allen) rely heavily on muscle memory, balance, and a calm, repeatable process. Their mental focus is on precision. The best shooters have to be fearless, and more importantly, they need to forget misses quickly, instead of letting the misses affect them too much.

Great defenders (Kawhi, Pippen, Artest) are mentally geared toward creating chaos -- disrupting plays, crowding opponents, getting in passing lanes. They need to be aggressive and physical. Defense is much more reactive. You’re constantly adjusting to the offensive player's moves, reading their eyes, their hip movement, and playing physically without fouling. It’s mentally taxing in a different way, which is why many (but not all) defensive stars don’t have enough energy or rhythm left to also be high-level offensive players.

In a nutshell, I can tell you what I was told when I played semi-pro in Europe as a "cadet" (junior team athlete) ages ago - but I feel this is still true: Shooting is about doing the same (extremely consistent) thing every time. Defense is about adapting constantly. Only the best of the best (Jordan, Bron types) can do both, but once they get older, this isn't true anymore, even for them.

Just to add something about athleticism: raw speed, explosiveness and verticality are amazing skills to have, but they usually don't have anything to do with muscle memory, rhythm and touch. Most people are not particularly blessed with any of those things, let alone height; some are tall, wide, strong and can have some of these characteristics, but it's very rare that you're going to be precise, with great muscle memory, with the mentality that enjoys repetitive work, but also incredibly quick, great leaper, and physically strong. Something has to give.

Again, the best talents, such as LeBron or Kawhi (or Kidd, for example), are also known as hard workers and can improve something -- their shooting ability for example, but this literally takes years, even decades. It's a slow process even with their incredible work ethic. Curry or Drazen Petrovic, or Ray Allen were always great shooters, it came naturally to them.
Click to expand...

ESPN and TNT talking heads could only dream of saying something this insightful. This was a brilliant and masterful.

Juronimo, Apr 16, 2025

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YES

LTLakerFan, Apr 16, 2025

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KareemtheGreat33, Apr 19, 2025

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karacha said: ↑

Sorry to say, but probably not.
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His ig post of his shooting workout is reminiscent of Ben Simmons

Khmrp, Apr 22, 2025

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abeer3 said: ↑

i think we're talking about different things in some ways.

i think you can be a good--even very good--defender without being a freak athlete. but i felt like the player you were asking for was an athletic defender who's also a movement shooter (hence the vando/knecht merge). my contention is there isn't a vando/knecht--and certainly not among the role player ranks.

even apex paul george may not have been quite the defender vando can be (albeit in limited minutes) nor the shooter knecht can be (again, in smaller doses).

iow, i just think it's an unrealistic ask for a guy to just develop the capacity. i will agree that if one part is going to be developed, it's shooting (e.g., lopez), but even then, it's usually standstill shooting. like, herb jones may one day become good enough from three so as not to be left open (and he'd suddenly make 3x his current salary), but he's not going to be popping off screens and drilling 27 footers with a hand in his face.

watching vando, i really question whether any amount of practice will yield even the standstill jumper. and i think he works at it and knows he could make even more money if he could do it.
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$ should be a great factor to at least be competent at shooting

Khmrp, Apr 22, 2025

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sirronstuff - Lakers Legend -

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He’s going to be a monster next year. Lebron will only play 40 games in his farewell tour, so he’ll get plenty of PT

sirronstuff, Apr 25, 2025

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Play him. Screw it. We’re down 2-1. Try something else JJ…

timothy, Apr 25, 2025

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timothy said: ↑

Play him. Screw it. We’re down 2-1. Try something else JJ…
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Our problem is more defensive than offensive at the moment. Knecht won't help on that end, he would look as bad as Hayes in limited minutes.

svtzr, Apr 26, 2025

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I sincerely hope he gets 15 mins per game next season. He’s above avg offensively, and probably is our best pure shooter. I get he’s a rookie, but dude could have been nice in some spot minutes at times we needed a spark.

If Rob and JJ don’t believe in him, then go ahead and ship him out this summer so you don’t mess with his psyche.

Once he plays us though, he’s for sure dropping 30 with that new team. That’s how ex-Lakers work, right?

In all seriousness, I hope we keep him. If it’s for an upgrade in a position of need, then I don’t see us holding. At least, that’s what common sense would tell me.

timothy, Apr 30, 2025

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I hope he gets 30 minutes a night...

... with the Brooklyn Nets.

He's most valuable as a trade chip for a starter. He won't be that for us for YEARS.

JSM, May 1, 2025

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Yeah. I actually still like Dalton but we will likely have to use him to get a wing defender and/or center.

ElginTheGreat, May 1, 2025

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yeah, unfortunately, he needs to be on the way out to a lotto team that needs to develop a wing scorer. i really think he could put up 15-20ppg next year as long as the team that has him isn't heavily invested in winning.

abeer3, May 1, 2025

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I would have been fine with him dealt in that Williams trade that ended up being rescinded. Bit us in the behind big time.

gcclaker, May 1, 2025

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ElginTheGreat said: ↑

Yeah. I actually still like Dalton but we will likely have to use him to get a wing defender and/or center.
Click to expand...

Someone here … props for the really good idea … that of course no one will think of in the organization … that Dalton and Goodwin should really, seriously train together and against each other this summer. Jordan could definitely use help with his shooting skills and Knecht with his defense.

LTLakerFan, May 1, 2025

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DK enjoying the stage

NSFW: LANGUAGE

JSM, May 11, 2025

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LOL

KareemtheGreat33, May 11, 2025

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He should have played in taht series and we honestly blew a golden opportunity to get one of our young guys playoff experinece.

In hindsight, signing Jordan Goodwin was kinda stupid because it meant Knecht was out of the rotation for good and then suddenly we couldn't score.

fabfourlakers, May 13, 2025

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JJ basically choked and over thunk

KareemtheGreat33, May 13, 2025

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knecht was barely playable in the regular season. they would have picked on him mercilessly in the playoffs.

he has to get way better as a team player, or he'll be on a vet min in two years. i say this as someone who was a big fan at draft time. it's a team game. you have to understand how to function within the system on both ends. he's got all the physical tools, but that's not enough at this level.

abeer3, May 14, 2025

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Dalton has to put in the work. Austin worked hard and improved after his rookie season. It's not impossible, we don't know his level of commitment yet. However he is still just a rookie.

The thing about Dalton is, that he's a tweener.

The handle isn't good enough to be a 2. He doesn't show the lateral quickness of Vando, the interior strength of Finney-Smith, on D.The size of Rui. What's his niche? Just being a scorer? Whose minutes are he going take?

You never know though, he might live in the gymn this summer and surprise us all.

Slick2021, May 14, 2025

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