Getting the opportunity to create your own shot in the NBA is something that will bring good scorers plenty of great enjoyment. Dalton Knecht will not have many of those opportunities within the Los Angeles Lakers offense. That may prove to be a bigger problem than it seems at first.
Jovan Buha highlighted the issue here on a recent episode of his podcast. The Lakers reporter did so in response to a question regarding whether Knecht was being used in a role similar to that of Duncan Robinson.
Buha said, "He's more of a scorer than an off-ball shooter. ... He's still a really good spot-up catch and shoot guy. Although, the shot hasn't been what it was earlier in last season. They got to figure it out and if they don't then he's just not going to play."
Knecht still searching for rhythm in off-ball role Lakers are envisioning
Knecht's biggest added strength to any lineup he is in for the Lakers will quickly be identified as his shooting ability. Last year's rookie marksman connected on 37.4 percent of his catch and shoot 3-pointers, according to NBA.com's tracking data.
Those are respectable figures, but far from elite. Knecht ranked seventh on the Lakers in that category, trailing: LeBron James, Rui Hachimura, Jordan Goodwin, Max Christie, Dorian Finney-Smith, and Austin Reaves.
One thing that could help him heat up from deep with more regularity would be getting a bigger green light to search for scoring opportunities that do not mostly consist of off-ball shooting. Even among the Lakers bench, there still may be a few too many mouths to feed for Knecht to get his wish.
One of, or multiple of, Luka Doncic, LeBron, or Reaves should regularly be matching minutes with the bench players to help guide them on the offensive end. That group will need to be elevated, and in the process, those stars will command the majority of the ball.
Past that, if a player like Hachimura is forced to shift back to the bench unit after James returns from his injury, that is another major name who will command plenty of offensive need. The Lakers will undoubtedly be encouraging someone like Jake LaRavia to be as involved as he can be too.
The issue quickly becomes Knecht not having a clear pathway to the type of role that will serve him best. With what is being asked, the Lakers bench man is fine in delivering some upside, but ultimately, not nearly enough to stop pondering whether the team would just be better off figuring out a future that does not involve him.