December 26, 2024
Miami Heat

The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Memphis Grizzlies at home on Wednesday night to record their seventh victory of the new NBA season. After losing the game in the third quarter, Los Angeles came back to win.

Superstar LeBron James, who recorded his third consecutive triple-double during the game, led them. James’ ability to post three consecutive triple-doubles demonstrates his continued dominance in the NBA, as it is difficult for any player to record just one.

The King put up an impressive 35 points, 12 rebounds, 14 assists, and a steal, leading Los Angeles to another win as he contributed across the board.

With his 40th birthday approaching next month, James’s time in the league is winding down. Following this victory over Memphis, he once again addressed his career timeline, hinting at retirement as he has in past offseasons.

“To be honest, I’m not going to play much longer…I’m not playing until the wheels fall off,” he said.

Everyone experiences father time, and James will be no exception. He recognizes that there are only a few more years remaining in his basketball career and can see the light at the end of the tunnel.

James signed a two-year agreement to remain with the Lakers this offseason and at this moment, he seems likely to follow that deal.

James has had an NBA career that has never been witnessed before in terms of longevity. James has shown no signs of slowing down and is still able to play with the greatest of the best.

James has learned to adapt his style of play to the changing NBA landscape, even though he may not be the same player as he once was. He is scoring 24.3 points, pulling down 8.1 rebounds, dishing out 9.4 assists, grabbing 0.6 steals, and blocking 0.5 blocks a game on average this season.

Lakers' LeBron James Discusses Retirement Timeline Following Win Over  Grizzlies

James and fellow player Anthony Davis have contributed to the Lakers’ current competitive position. At the beginning of the year, they appeared far more competitive than most people would have thought.

The veteran is still vying for another NBA title even though he has nothing left to prove. Los Angeles might be a player if James can maintain his dominant play, even though it might be difficult to win one given the league’s overall excellent quality.

 

Dalton Knecht is the sharpshooter the Lakers have always wanted but never previously had.

Los Angeles Dalton Knecht has the solution to the Lakers’ problems with 3-point shooting.

He is a newbie, indeed. No, he wasn’t a lottery pick or even a top pick.

The Lakers offered to select the shooter from Tennessee with the 17th overall pick after Knecht was shot on draft night.

Their investment in the youngster has already paid off after just 11 games this season.

With an average of 16.9 minutes per game, he has guaranteed himself regular playing time. Knecht’s 10 points in the comeback victory over the Sacramento Kings and his 18-point performance in a defeat to the Cleveland Cavaliers are only two of his noteworthy outings.

With the best performance of his early career on Wednesday against the Grizzlies, he dominated all those games.

Knecht’s performance in a game that was already settled wasn’t very good. After Anthony Davis received his fifth foul at 3:51 in the third quarter, the Lakers were struggling to rally in the second half and were forced to play without him for extended periods of time.

Knecht was on the floor at the time, doing what he does best—making 3-pointers. He kept Los Angeles in the game with their greatest player off the court by making consecutive 3-pointers to cut the game to one possession.

Knecht’s winning run was turned into a 128-123 triumph by Los Angeles, who went undefeated at home.

Lakers coach JJ Redick discussed how crucial that play was for the squad after the victory.

After the game, Redick remarked, “I felt he was the catalyst for our comeback.” “AD’s foul problems, time, and score weren’t the only things that happened. And it was only the energy. We kind of lost our lives because we couldn’t execute, had some turnovers, and struggled to get stops for whatever reason. Those back-to-back ones seemed enormous to me.

Knecht displayed all of his 3-point shooting abilities during the contest. With Rui Hachimura’s help, he scored from the top of the arc, nailed open jumpers on the wing, and made a corner three.

Knecht made all five of his 3-point shots, proving that nothing in life is flawless. He actually finished the game with 19 points and a 7-8 shooting percentage, missing only one field goal.

LeBron James praised Knecht’s performance after the game and even claimed that the team relied on the youngster to win this game after behind.

The majority of the spotlight will go to Knecht’s goal, but his best performance was helping Christian Koloko.

Knecht pushed the ball up the court, got inside, and threw it to Koloko for the slam with 10:55 remaining in the game.

The audience shouted as the basket tied the score at 96, signaling that the comeback was complete and that L.A. had gained the upper hand.

When he described this event in the game, Knecht sounded like a novice, even though he doesn’t play like one.

His brief remark gave the impression that he hadn’t had a moment like that in a long time because, well, he hasn’t had one in the NBA.

After the game, Knecht remarked, “I just remember grabbing the ball and seeing Koloko running. Then I just threw the ball up for a lob and he dunked it.” That was encouraging to see. And take in the excitement at Crypto.com Arena.

Given what Knecht is and has the potential to become, it’s difficult to keep Lakers exceptionalism under check.

To put it plainly, the Lakers have never had a shooter they could count on to routinely make open threes.

Dalton Knecht is quickly becoming the best shooter in Lakers history -  Silver Screen and Roll

D’Angelo Russell established the team record for three-pointers made in a single season, and the Lakers finished 24th in the NBA last season with 11.8 3-pointers per game.

According to preliminary reports, Knecht has the potential to be the 3-point threat the team has been looking for.

He will only improve with more reps this season and in the upcoming years, considering that this is his debut year.

He will join the long and remarkable list of players who joined the Lakers as unknowns and went on to establish themselves on the club and in the NBA if he keeps getting better and remains a dedicated, coachable player.

Recent examples include late first-round pick Kyle Kuzma, early second-round pick Max Christie, and undrafted players like Austin Reaves and Alex Caruso.

He’s headed toward this best-case scenario based on his words and behavior.

 

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