Lakers' Dalton Knecht returns to starting lineup against Spurs

SAN ANTONIO — Lakers coach JJ Redick talked about possible changes After their road defeat against the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday night.

Just one day later, a significant change was made.

Rookie forward Dalton Knecht replaced Cam Reddish in the starting lineup ahead of Wednesday night’s away game against the San Antonio Spurs, rejoining the first team along with LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura.

The last time the Lakers changed their starting lineup was to replace D’Angelo Russell with Reddish. was to provide greater stability in the opening unit.

This time, however, the Lakers embraced their offensive identity by reintroducing Knecht to the first team. after enjoying the best stretch of his short NBA career as a starter..

Knecht averaged 23.8 points (60.3% shooting, 57.6% three-point shooting) and 4.8 rebounds (35.2 minutes) in his first five games between November 15-21. He remained away from the field due to a sprained left ankle.

Hachimura replaces Knecht in the starting five Saturday’s home defeat against the Denver NuggetsWhile Knecht averaged 8 points and 4.5 rebounds as a reserve in the Lakers’ last two games, both of which were losses, he returned to the starting lineup.

“He’s got some good looks,” Redick said Tuesday. “And maybe if he’s a beginner there’s a flow and rhythm he can reach. As I told you, everything is always open to discussion in our coach meetings. So we’ll look at everything.”

The Lakers were without reserve center Jaxson Hayes (ankle), who injured his right ankle after dunking with just over a minute left in the game against the Suns. Hayes, who returned to the lineup on Tuesday after missing the previous six games due to a sprained right ankle, was taken to the locker room after lying on the floor for a while.

“This is not a relapse like (Dr. Leroy Sims, the Lakers’ director of player performance and health) said,” Redick said before the game. “I assume we’ll have more information when we get back to Los Angeles.”

ACCEPTANCE OF DEFICIENCIES

The Lakers entered Wednesday with a defensive rating of 122.4 (points allowed per 100 possessions), the worst mark in the league over the team’s last four games.

Davis cited a lack of communication as a reason for the Lakers’ trouble on that end of the floor following Tuesday’s loss.

Redick agreed with Davis, acknowledging the Lakers’ struggles on that end of the floor throughout the season.

“I’m not going to talk about the last few games,” Redick said before Wednesday’s game. “I would probably say history, where we are, 17, last 14 games, maybe 15 games. “Our level of communication is not at the level of a great defensive team.”

The Lakers entered the matchup against the Spurs with a defensive rating of 118.2, the fourth-worst in the NBA; This includes a defensive rating of 119.1 in the last 15 games (the second worst in the league this term) and after strong performances in this part of the season. They appeared in the first two matches.

First Publication Date: November 27, 2024 17:59 PST

ACCEPTANCE OF DEFICIENCIES

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