Dalton Knecht's path to getting on an NBA floor hinges on his sweet shot-making ability from beyond the arc. The added necessity for him to stay there comes from needing to provide passable defensive play. The Los Angeles Lakers have yet to see the latter from their soon-to-be sophomore.
It's only preseason, but Knecht is already displaying the same kind of woeful troubles that got him dropped from the Lakers rotation in the stretch run of the 2024-25 campaign. Everyone sees it. Lakers reporter Jovan Buha certainly did not shy away from highlighting the subject.
Buha said, "[I] still think the defense is problematic with Dalton.