The Los Angeles Lakers were willing to cut ties with their homegrown guard Dalton Knecht one season ago.
As Knecht was a rookie-having an up and down year-the Lakers used him in a package sent to the Charlotte Hornets in order to bolster their front court.
The Hornets were willing to take on Knecht, agreeing to the deal. However, it felt through on the Lakers' end, as they weren't willing to clear the incoming center, Mark Williams.
Knecht returned to the Lakers and has had trouble carving out a consistent role on the team since.
JJ Redick Wants to Change That
The Lakers have struggled in a couple of key areas this season. Three-point shooting hasn't come easy for Los Angeles, who ranks in the bottom five in the league.
Being that Knecht's greatest strength is shooting from beyond the arc, Lakers head coach JJ Redick is willing to give the former first-round pick a shot with a consistent role in the rotation temporarily.
"When asked about LAL ranking 25th in 3-point percentage, JJ Redick says he will give Dalton Knecht a chance in the rotation tonight vs. MEM and in the foreseeable future for the ‘next week or so,'" reports ESPN's Dave McMenamin.
"Redick said the key for Knecht to earn a rotation spot will be ‘playing hard.'”
The Pressure Is On
Knecht, 24, entered the NBA as the 17th pick out of Tennessee.
Although he was one of the oldest players in the draft, a common knock for incoming prospects, Knecht was viewed as one of the better value picks deep in the draft.
As a rookie, Knecht averaged 19.2 minutes per game in 78 games. He shot 37 percent on 4.4 attempts per game. He averaged 9.1 points.
This year, Knecht has played in 26 games. His minutes are down to 13.3 per game. His attempts from deep have taken a dip to 2.6 per game. He is shooting 35 percent from long-range, producing 5.7 points per game.
A consistent set of minutes can do wonders for a player when they are working on acquiring a steady role. Over the past six games, Knecht has exceeded five minutes of action just once. Redick is willing to give the sophomore shooter a shot.
It all starts on Friday night, when the Lakers host the Grizzlies.
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