2. Dalton Knecht, SF/SG
There was plenty of buzz surrounding Dalton Knecht heading into the 2024-25 campaign. The 2024 17th overall pick appeared to have all the tools to be the sharpshooting presence the Lakers needed, and he initially lived up to the hype by averaging 9.4 points and 1.6 threes made while shooting 46.5% from the floor and 35.8% from deep in his first 48 appearances.
Unfortunately, Knecht's performance has trended downhill since February. The Lakers attempted to move the former Tennessee Volunteer to the Charlotte Hornets before the trade deadline, however, the deal was rescinded once center Mark Williams failed to pass a physical exam, keeping a now-uncomfortable Knect in L.A.
The 23-year-old wing initially struggled after returning to the lineup. However, his performance improved in early March. That didn't last long, though, as Knecht is now averaging only 2.3 points per game while playing just over six minutes of action in his last half-dozen outings. He's only played more than seven minutes once during that stretch, making it clear that Redick doesn't have much faith in his abilities.
If he wants to reverse course, Knecht must capitalize on every second of playing time he sees. He doesn't have the benefit of having a proven postseason track record that some of his teammates have, meaning he must use the rest of the regular season to prove why he belongs in Redick's playoff plans.