Jovan Buha welcomes Sam Vecenie of The Athletic and Game Theory Podcast to break down Los Angeles Lakers rookie Dalton Knecht’s recent surge.

Sam and I discuss his early impressions of Knecht, the 37-point performance against the Utah Jazz, whether Knecht should keep starting once Rui Hachimura returns from injury, where Knecht would go in a redraft of the 2024 NBA Draft, a realistic ceiling for him, the Klay Thompson comparisons, Duncan Robinson, and more.

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Chapters:
0:00 Intro
0:55 Early impressions of Dalton Knecht and his 37-point eruption
5:59 Does Knecht remain the starter once Rui Hachimura returns?
11:25 Where would Knecht go in a redraft of the 2024 NBA Draft?
20:24 What does Knecht need to focus on the rest of the season?
27:29 What’s a realistic ceiling for Knecht?
31:39 What does Sam think of the Klay Thompson comparisons?
36:28 Why Sam compares Knecht to a more explosive Duncan Robinson
38:45 There’s more to Knecht’s game than just shooting
41:26 LA can make noise in the West
43:18 Outro