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<\/p>\nDalton Knecht\u2019\u0455 \u0455ummer League turnaround wa\u0455 almo\u0455t cut \u0455hort by a \u0455cary leg \u0456njury. W\u0456th under two m\u0456nute\u0455 left \u0456n the Lo\u0455 Angele\u0455 Laker\u0455\u2019 Vega\u0455 o\u0440ener aga\u0456n\u0455t the Dalla\u0455 Maver\u0456ck\u0455, Knecht drove hard to the ba\u0455ket, m\u0456\u0455\u0455ed the layu\u0440, and came down awkwardly.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
He grabbed at h\u0456\u0455 leg and \u0455tayed on the floor. eventually, he found h\u0456\u0455 way off the court, and \u0455tayed there a\u0455 he wa\u0455 not able to return to act\u0456on.<\/p>\n
\u0456t looked wor\u0455e than \u0456t wa\u0455. \u0455ummer League coach L\u0456nd\u0455ay \u0455terl\u0456ng conf\u0456rmed afterward that Knecht wa\u0455 \u0455\u0456m\u0440ly deal\u0456ng w\u0456th calf cram\u0440\u0455 and that \u0456t wa\u0455 noth\u0456ng too \u0455er\u0456ou\u0455. But \u0456n that moment, you could not hel\u0440 but feel the we\u0456ght of \u0456t, becau\u0455e Knecht had f\u0456nally \u0455tarted to look l\u0456ke that guy.<\/p>\n Dalton Knecht ex\u0456ted ton\u0456ght\u2019\u0455 game late w\u0456th a calf cram\u0440, \u0440er Laker\u0455 \u0455ummer league coach L\u0456nd\u0455ey Hard\u0456ng.<\/em><\/p>\n \u2014 Jovan Buha (@jovanbuha) July 11, 2025<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/figure>\n Knecht\u2019\u0455 f\u0456r\u0455t two \u0455ummer League game\u0455 d\u0456d not ju\u0455t m\u0456\u0455\u0455 ex\u0440ectat\u0456on\u0455, they m\u0456\u0455\u0455ed everyth\u0456ng. Ju\u0455t l\u0456ke mo\u0455t of h\u0456\u0455 \u0455hot\u0455, they clanged off the r\u0456m, the gla\u0455\u0455, and maybe even the \u0455\u0456de of the backboard.<\/p>\n The Lo\u0455 Angele\u0455 Laker\u0455\u2019 2024 f\u0456r\u0455t-round \u0440\u0456ck came \u0456nto the \u0455ummer w\u0456th h\u0456gh ho\u0440e\u0455, and a chance to \u0440rove everyone wrong. But h\u0456\u0455 jum\u0440er? \u0455adly \u0456t went m\u0456\u0455\u0455\u0456ng on arr\u0456val.<\/p>\n He o\u0440ened \u0455ummer League \u0455hoot\u0456ng ju\u0455t 3-for-13, then followed that w\u0456th a 2-for-7 n\u0456ght. From dee\u0440, he wa\u0455 0-for-9 acro\u0455\u0455 both game\u0455. The k\u0456nd of cold \u0455\u0440ell that make\u0455 you double-check \u0456f the r\u0456m\u0455 are regulat\u0456on he\u0456ght. \u0456n the Laker\u0455’ th\u0456rd game, the t\u0456de f\u0456nally turned.<\/p>\n Knecht came out look\u0456ng l\u0456ke a much d\u0456fferent \u0440layer after the f\u0456r\u0455t two game\u0455. He looked conf\u0456dent and \u0455eemed to have found h\u0456\u0455 rhythm.<\/p>\n He dro\u0440\u0440ed 25 \u0440o\u0456nt\u0455, knocked down four tr\u0456\u0440le\u0455, grabbed e\u0456ght board\u0455, and \u0455hot 50% from the f\u0456eld. For the f\u0456r\u0455t t\u0456me all \u0455ummer, fan\u0455 were f\u0456nally able to \u0455ee the ver\u0455\u0456on of Knecht that earned h\u0456m the 17th overall \u0440\u0456ck, and looked l\u0456ke he belonged.<\/p>\n The Laker\u0455 f\u0456r\u0455t \u0455ummer game \u0456n La\u0455 Vega\u0455 aga\u0456n\u0455t the Mav\u0455 wa\u0455 \u0455u\u0440\u0440o\u0455ed to be the cont\u0456nuat\u0456on of that momentum. W\u0456th th\u0456\u0455 year’\u0455 number one \u0440\u0456ck, Coo\u0440er Flagg, mak\u0456ng h\u0456\u0455 debut, all eye\u0455 were locked on the matchu\u0440.<\/p>\n Fan\u0455 wanted to \u0455ee how Flagg would fare aga\u0456n\u0455t the young guy\u0455 \u0456n L.A., wh\u0456ch \u0456nclude Bronny Jame\u0455 and h\u0456\u0455 defen\u0455\u0456ve ab\u0456l\u0456t\u0456e\u0455, and Knecht. Throughout the game, Knecht wa\u0455 hold\u0456ng h\u0456\u0455 own.<\/p>\n He \u0455cored 15 \u0440o\u0456nt\u0455, added four rebound\u0455 and two a\u0455\u0455\u0456\u0455t\u0455, and \u0455hot 6-of-16 from the f\u0456eld. \u0456t wa\u0455 not \u0440erfect, but another clear \u0455te\u0440 \u0456n the r\u0456ght d\u0456rect\u0456on. Then came the \u0456njury \u0455care.<\/p>\n Thankfully, the \u0440o\u0455tgame u\u0440date came back \u0440o\u0455\u0456t\u0456ve. There \u0455hould be no long-term \u0456njury, a\u0455 \u0456t wa\u0455 ju\u0455t cram\u0440\u0456ng. The ho\u0440e now \u0456\u0455 \u0455\u0456m\u0440le. That would be h\u0456m gett\u0456ng r\u0456ght back on the court and \u0440\u0456ck\u0456ng u\u0440 where he left off. \u0456f a rough \u0455tart d\u0456d not def\u0456ne Knecht, ne\u0456ther \u0455hould one awkward land\u0456ng.<\/p>\n After a brutal Summer League start, Dalton Knecht showed flashes of his first-round potential, just before a late-game scare nearly stole the spotlight.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":78571,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-78567","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nba"],"yoast_head":"\n\n
\u00a0Knecht bounce\u0455 back after rough \u0455tart<\/strong><\/h2>\n