Dalton Knecht is in the zone to the extent that he is now mimicking Michael Jordan.
Rookie Knecht scored 37 points, including nine three-pointers, as the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Utah Jazz 124-118 on Tuesday night.
He even had the confidence to produce a Jordan-esque shuffle, made famous by the superstar in the 1992 Finals, after dispatching his fourth consecutive shot from outside the arc.
DALTON KNECHT HAD HIMSELF A NIGHT:
🔥 37 PTS (career high)
🔥 9 3PM (ties rookie record)
🔥 Scored 22 straight for LA@Lakers move 2-0 in #EmiratesNBACup play and are undefeated going back to last season 💯 pic.twitter.com/OjMOeKxY4p— NBA (@NBA) November 20, 2024
“I just got in a groove,” Knecht said. “My teammates found me, and they were looking for me every time. They made it easy for me. I just had to get open and get the shot up.”
Having moved into the Lakers’ line-up four games ago, Knecht has averaged 24.3 points and is a remarkable 21-for-31 on three-pointers.
Lakers coach JJ Redick said: “His shot-making gets us going. It’s a real weapon for our group. Beyond just the score, it’s a weapon that energizes us.
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It’s the flow state – Redick
Asked to describe what it’s like when a player gets in the zone, Redick added: “It’s the flow state.
”You’re not thinking. You’re just perfectly in balance with the curvature of the earth, and the earth spinning on its axis a thousand miles an hour. You’ve let go, and the ball just feels weightless. It feels like everything is going to go in.”
Knecht surprisingly dropped to 17th in the 2024 Draft after he was expected to go in the top 10.
LeBron happy to have Knecht on side
The Lakers were the beneficiaries, much to the delight of LeBron James.
James said: “I did not think he was going to fall to us.
“I thought it would be impossible. I have no idea how that happened, but I’m very grateful and very happy that he’s here. I knew exactly what we was getting when he fell to 17.”
