Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images
The Los Angeles Lakers dropped to 1-3 in preseason play with a 111-97 loss to the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday.
Aside from Anthony Davis’ 24 points, there wasn’t much to show for the Lakers’ stars in the loss as they played limited minutes.
For the rookies, Lakers’ first-round pick Dalton Knecht had 19 points on 6-of-15 from the field, starting off slow but finishing with decent numbers. Second-round pick Bronny James didn’t see the floor until the fourth quarter, and fans were delighted to see him check into the game.
Dave McMenamin @mcten
A “Bronny” chant and warm ovation here in the 4th Q when the Lakers rookie checks in for the first time tonight pic.twitter.com/3w7OmsPYeX
James put up two points on 1-of-5 from the field in nine minutes.
After the loss, fans were happy to see Knecht find his rhythm late in the game.
Lakers Lead @LakersLead
DALTON KNECHT TONIGHT
🛜 21 minutes
🛜 19 points
🛜 2 steals
🛜 6/15 fg
🛜 5/13 3pt
What’s his ceiling? pic.twitter.com/Z4hd7OgBiY
Edwin Garcia @ECreates88
Lakers lost 111-97 against the Warriors. AD was incredible, with 24 points and 12 rebounds. Rui Hachimurta had 15 points and 9 rebounds. Dalton Knecht struggled most of the game but had a strong fourth, ending the night with 19 points. 3-point shooting was rough, 11-40 as a team.
Knecht showed on Tuesday that when he finds a rhythm, he can be a huge offensive spark off the bench. The question will be whether he can shake off the slow starts and put together strong games from start to finish.
Sluggish starts have been a bit of a theme for Knecht so far in preseason. That could just be the nerves that come with being a rookie in the NBA. As he gets more experience, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Knecht put his name in the running for Rookie of the Year.
