Dalton Knecht shows he’s NBA-ready in Las Vegas debut for Lakers

The result didn’t matter but Dalton Knecht’s play does as the Lakers rookie was the best player on the floor on opening night in Las Vegas.

LAS VEGAS — If there's ever a place where you can turn your luck in the blink of an eye, for better or for worse, it's Las Vegas. And while things had not been going Dalton Knecht’s way for the Lakers this summer, that changed as quickly as hitting a jackpot on the slot machines on Friday.

The Thomas & Mack Center was rambunctious when the Lakers stepped onto the court Friday night with the vast majority of the attention landing on Bronny James shoulders.

From warmups until the final buzzer, everything he did was overvalued. Fans stood up as if the national anthem was playing when he took to the floor. There were cheers for his dunks pregame and jeers during his 0-8 performance from deep.

In the end, the Lakers' performance as a Summer League team in Vegas was more of the same as in San Francisco: flashes of quality, droughts with no scoring and another blowout loss.

Bronny may have been the main character as the night began, but Knecht had the kind of Friday night in Vegas that people dream of.

The result was irrelevant. Knecht's performance was night as he was the Lakers' best player on the floor and demonstrated why they made the right move by drafting him.

He started for the team, just like he did in all three California Classic games, but this time, his performance wasn't up-and-down; he was, in a word, sensational.

This game was the intersection where his promise and potential met with his current state.

He set ball screens, found his position on the wing and converted his shots, whether contested or not. He was known in college as a sharpshooter and brought that range to Las Vegas, hitting on five of his eight 3-point attempts.

"It just fell,” Knecht said postgame. "I always stay confident in my shot and I know my teammates got my back, as well as the coaching staff. No matter what, I'm just gonna let it fly."

Tonight, Knecht's confidence never wavered. He took 18 shots more than any player on either team and converted on nine of them, tying with Houston Rockets rookie guard Reed Sheppard for the most makes.

Late in the game, he took more and more responsibility, handling the ball at the top of the key. Confidence oozed from him as he drove and dished out four assists.

It is encouraging to see Knecht continuously improving with each Summer League minute he plays. Fans want to see signs of growth and a willingness to absorb as much as possible and apply it like a sponge.

When looking at Knecht's flaws, the defensive side is an area where improvement is not only desired but required.

Knecht spoke about the work he has to do on that aspect of his game following the defeat.

"Just learning the concepts; everyone is from different colleges, and some are from overseas," Knecht said. "Just learning the coverages and keep communicating on the defensive end."

He was destroyed by Sheppard early in the second half.

Sheppard executed a right crossover that took Knecht out of position and then put the exclamation point on the play with a hesi floater that will undoubtedly make the young Rockets' highlight reel from the summer.

Later in the game, Knecht improved defensively.

He held his ground inside the paint, fighting for rebounds. Players tried to post him up a couple of times, but he used his size to stand to stay planted and avoided getting scored on.

Progress isn't linear. There have been and will continue to be bumps along the way as Knecht adjusts to the NBA life under the microscope of being a Laker. Still, so far, he's shown flashes of brilliance and a propensity to adapt and evolve under the leadership of his coaches.

"Both JJ (Redick) and (Dane) Johnson said the same thing: 'Just keep getting aggressive, lead the team, and keep getting better every single day,’" Knecht said postgame.

He'll have another opportunity to improve and attempt to pass the ultimate Lakers test by beating the Celtics on Monday.

Even if the result won’t matter in the long run, Knecht’s performances will. And the Lakers are hoping they’ve found themselves a high roller they can bank on moving forward.

You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88.