Dalton Knecht scores first points in Los Angeles Lakers debut

Former Tennessee basketball superstar Dalton Knecht made his NBA Summer League debut on Saturday. The Los Angeles Lakers took on the Sacramento Kings in the California Classic tournament.

As a first-round draft pick, Knecht is competing for a spot on the Lakers' regular-season roster with other draft picks and G League players. 

Although the Kings won 108-94, Knecht scored his first points in a Lakers uniform. He finished the night with 12 points, two rebounds, four assists, and one steal in his Lakers debut. 

Knecht struggled from the field, only shooting 3-for-12 and 1-for-4 from three, but shot 5-for-10 from the free-throw line to att some points to his final total. 

It will take some time for Knecht to get familiar with his Summer League teammates and mesh with them on the court. Once he gets into a rhythm and builds some on-court chemistry, he could be one of the more dangerous players in the Summer League this year. 

Knecht shot 45.8% from the field and 39.7% from three as a senior at Tennessee. Don't be surprised if his shooting improves every game; he starts shooting and scoring more efficiently and becomes a threat for the Lakers by the end of the Summer League. 

Knecht's struggle from the floor isn't uncommon, with first-year players getting acclimated to the next level. If Knecht can meet those expectations, he won't have any issues making the regular season roster and earning minutes on the floor. 

Lakers second-round draft pick Bronny James also made his Summer League debut and scored four points while shooting 2-for-9 from the field. It was a rough shooting night for the entire Lakers roster, including both of the Lakers' 2024 draft picks. 

The Lakers will play its second of three games in the California Classic on Sunday afternoon. The Lakers will play the Warriors at 6:30 PM ET on NBA TV and Spectrum Sportsnet.