Even LeBron James gave his encouragement. Dalton Knecht had just had a string of complicated evenings in terms of shooting. 16 points at 7/13 against the Wolves, but only 2/7 from afar, 7 points at 1/7 behind the arc against the Suns, or even… 2/10 at 3-points against the Bucks (for 13 points at 5/16 in total).
“ I was on the sideline, LeBron was telling me to keep shooting, he didn't care about my shot. It's the same for JJ (Redick), They told me that I had to continue to shoot, to send them. So I don't know, what I prefer is to continue to shoot, to send and to play with confidence. It's really good to have this “, appreciated the rookie after this match against the Bucks.
The green light from the coach
The 17th choice of the last Draft thus continues to apply the instructions. This night against the Warriors, he visibly wanted to show off against the best shooter in history, Stephen Curry. Dalton Knecht shot a lot again, but this time with more success.
He was able to demonstrate his shooting mechanics and his speed of execution on a number of sometimes contested “catch-and-shoots”. “ I'll shoot either way. I think all my shots were good. I know all my teammates have confidence in my shot. So it's about finding my shooting rhythm and that's it “, sums up the author of 19 points at 6/15 on shotsincluding 5/13 from afar.
In addition to the “King”, he says he has the green light from his coach, who sees in him a player “ ready » to play in the Great League. “ He is still growing in terms of learning physicality, defensive nuances and timing. But he's another kid who shows heart and the same intention every day, who is always in the right place. Someone who is told to do something and does it “, delivered the coach a few days ago.
The discovery of “spacing”
Rui Hachimura is a fan of his “ way of approaching the game. He is very aggressive. He's a great shooter, he knows his game. He's still trying to learn. I was like that too when I left university. Spacing and playing with these superstars is not easy. He's still trying to figure it out, but I want him to be more aggressive and be himself. »
Advice that the Lakers had already given him at the time of his Draft, to behave as he did in Tennessee. A message of course: since the start of the preseason, the rookie is the one who shoots the most on the team (13 attempts per match)!
