After a tumultuous trade deadline move, Dalton Knecht participated in the Lakers’ final game before All-Star weekend. Last night, he carried it forward with a strong performance in the Rising Stars event that qualified his team for Sunday night’s All-Star Game.
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During the post-game press conference, the sharpshooter reflected on the most impactful advice he has received as a pro player. Surprisingly, it didn’t come from LeBron James or Anthony Davis, or even Luka Doncic, but from former Laker, D’Angelo Russell.
When asked about the best advice he has received as a Laker, Knecht answered, “I’d say D-Lo. He gave me the best advice. ‘Right after a game, just move on. Don’t care about how you did, just move on ’cause you got a next game coming towards you.'”
“At the end of the day, no matter how high or how low that game was, you gotta move on and be ready to play the next one and get better,” the Lakers rookie shared on night one of the All-Star weekend.
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It’s fitting advice from Russell, who struggled with the pressure of his role during his first stint as a Laker. However, for Knecht especially, having a quick-erase memory is vital as a sharpshooter.
Possessing the determination to look forward instead of backwards is essential for Dalton as the league’s best catch-and-shooters are all vulnerable to off nights. Fixating over one’s percentage or box score can cause shooters to overthink their decisions and fall into a self-inflicted slump.
Clearly, the 23-year-old has avoided these issues by heeding D-Lo’s advice. After shooting over 40% from deep through the month of November, Knecht faced a cold spell during the turn of the year.
In December, the 2024 SEC Player of the Year converted just 15.6% of his shots from three-point range. He had several games where he failed to knock down anything from beyond the arc, but by brushing it off come 2025, Knecht bounced back strong.
January saw his averages return to a respectable 36.8%. Through three games in February, his three-point percentage has risen to 38.5%. It carried forward into his performance during the Rising Stars event too.
During the semi-final matchup against Team T, the Tennessee graduate contributed 7 points, 4 assists and 4 rebounds, leading to a 40-36 win. The following contest against Team G League saw Knecht tally 5 points, 2 boards and 1 steal. Team Chris Mullin won that game too, by a score of 25-14.
Notably, his team’s last play during the Rising Stars final was spearheaded by a Knecht steal, leading to the game-winning three-pointer from Keyonte George.
Thanks to their perfect record last night, Knecht & Co. will now take on Team Shaq, consisting of LeBron James and Stephen Curry, during the All-Star Game tournament on Sunday.
