Lakers Rookie Plays Three Minutes in Game 1 Loss

The Los Angeles Lakers were stunned on their homeport on Saturday night, suffering a 117-95 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 1 of the Western Conference’s first round.

Luka Doncic and co. got off to a hot start early — with the superstar scoring a quick 16 points in the first — but were knocked down by the Timberwolves’ first counterpunch, quickly losing its grip on the game and failing to re-gain it.

Los Angeles struggled to find intensity on both ends, shooting just 40% overall and failing to defend the rim or perimeter at a high level. 

Dalton Knecht, the team’s rookie sharpshooter, saw an essential DNP, playing in just the final three minutes of the game already down by 20-plus points. He did manage to score five points on 2-for-4 shooting with three rebounds, but with Minnesota’s clean-up crew across from him. Otherwise, he was unused for the competitive part of the contest.

There’s certainly no guarantee Knecht would’ve been any sort of answer. NBA rookies aren’t typically prone to positive impact in the postseason. And even Knecht, at 24 with a clean jumper, fits into that given the ramp up in physicality and intensity. 

Drafted at No. 17 in the 2024 NBA Draft, Knecht has seen a solid debut season with the Lakers, scoring 9.1 points on 46% shooting overall and 38% 3-point shooting across 78 games. He could certainly be used as a floor-spacer and transition scorer, but his defense has been one of the weaker areas so far this season.

If Saturday’s game was any indication, Knecht may not be slated for major postseason minutes. Should the team go down 2-0 to Minnesota, head coach JJ Redick could look to throw in the newbie as a change of pace.