LeBron James, the Los Angeles Lakers and the three-year search for a 'laser' in Dalton Knecht - ESPN
EIGHT GAMES INTO his rookie season, back in the state where he became a college basketball phenomenon, all the elements were in place for Los Angeles Lakers forward Dalton Knecht to continue his storybook ascent in the sport.
It was Nov. 6, and Knecht was starting for the first time of his NBA career. His coach from the University of Tennessee, Rick Barnes, was sitting courtside in Memphis — with a Volunteers Elite Eight ring in his pocket he planned to present in person to the 6-6 wing who led the program further in the NCAA tournament it had been in more than a decade as he became an All-American in his lone season donning orange.
New Lakers coach JJ Redick, hoping to give his team an offensive jolt as it scuffled through a five-game road trip, dropping three of its first four, looked to Knecht, whom he'd already praised as being in the top «1% of shooters» in basketball.
Set up to be the warmest of homecomings — especially after the No. 17 pick in the draft lit up Las Vegas summer league with 21.3 points per game and exploded for 35 points in a preseason game against his idol, Kevin Durant — a cold, sharp NBA reality clocked him instead.
Literally.
With 5:46 left in fourth quarter, Knecht was elbowed in the face by the Grizzlies' Jake LaRavia and had to exit the game, his first start ending with him being examined in the locker room. LaRavia hit him so hard, sources told ESPN, there was initial worry that Knecht had suffered a broken jaw.
Knecht finished with just three points on 1-for-7 shooting. The Lakers lost 131-114.
Redick wasn't worried about the missed shots, but found the team's competitiveness unacceptable after a stretch in which the Lakers' last four losses came by an average of more than 14 points. And he