Dalton Knecht leads Los Angeles Lakers to win in record-breaking game

Former Tennessee basketball superstar Dalton Knecht is making an immediate impact in the NBA early in his rookie season. Knecht has shown his style of basketball transitions well at the professional level after being criticized on draft night and falling to the Lakers. 

Despite his fall in the draft, the Lakers have been ecstatic to draft Knecht, and he has already made an impact on their season. He single-handedly took over a game and helped the Lakers beat the Jazz 124-118 on Tuesday night. 

Knecht scored a career-high 37 points in 38 minutes of play as a starter in the Lakers' rotation. He shot 12-for-16 from the field and tied the NBA rookie single-game record with nine three-point shots made as he shot 9-for-12 from beyond the arc. 

It's hard to put together a stat line better than that, especially for a rookie in the NBA. Knecht has slowly started earning more playing time and finding himself in the starting five since starting his first career in Memphis against the Grizzlies earlier this month. 

Knecht is averaging 11.3 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 1.1 assists per game while shooting 52.3% from the field so far in his rookie season. He's playing even better since earning his spot in the starting five, averaging 15.2 points per game while shooting 55% from the field and 51% from three-point range. 

The Lakers have now won six straight games as Knecht is looking his best since joining the purple and gold earlier this year. If the Lakers can get the same player Rick Barnes had in Knoxville, the sky is the limit for Knecht and the Lakers moving forward.