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As the end of the preseason and the start of the regular season nears for the Los Angeles Lakers, fans have gotten a good look at two key rookies.
Dalton Knecht, the Lakers’ first-round pick, has quickly emerged as a player capable of getting regular minutes. He posted his best game of the preseason on Tuesday when he put up 19 points, most of those coming in the fourth quarter when he got hot.
On Thursday against the Phoenix Suns, Knecht had five points through the first half.
His impressive showing has Lakers fans calling for him to be in the rotation early on this season.
While Knecht has been impressive, the Lakers’ other rookie, Bronny James, hasn’t shown too much. Playing against NBA talent for the first time, James hasn’t been able to find his shot, though he has had far less playing time than Knecht.
In his limited minutes, James has shown that he’ll likely need some time to develop before he gets into the Lakers’ rotation.
After the season Knecht had at Tennessee last year, it’s not much of a surprise to see him playing well early. He didn’t have as much hype as some lottery picks, but he’s quickly showing that he might be the steal of the draft.
As for James, it’s evident he’ll need some time to improve, and that could mean spending most of his first season in the G League.
First appeared on bleacherreport.com