The Los Angeles Lakers spent a first round pick on Dalton Knecht with the idea that he could stretch opposing defenses with his elite 3-point shooting. He had flashes but was included in the rescinded Mark Williams trade and has never recovered his confidence or standing in LA. They signed Jake LaRavia in free agency this summer to do a little bit of everything, and he's been the answer to their Knecht problem.
The NBA regular season has just begun, but it's already clear that LaRavia is capable of doing more than just being a jack of all trades for the Lakers. In fact, he's outclassing Knecht in every way. The great irony is that LaRavia failed to provide the team that drafted him the sort of sweet shooting and playmaking they wanted from him earlier in his career. Now the former Grizzlies first rounder is putting Knecht in jeopardy of failing to carve out a long-term future in Los Angeles.
The former Wake Forest standout has only started two games on the season for head coach JJ Redick, but his place in the team's hierarchy is on the rise. Much of that is based on LaRavia making 50 percent of his 3s to start the campaign. That figure is going to go down over time, but it's still far north of the 23 percent Knecht is shooting from behind the arc in his six games.
Overall, he's averaging 12.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.4 steals per game, shooting 60 percent from the field.
Jake LaRavia is the role player the Lakers needed on the wing
LaRavia's impact for the Lakers also outpaces Knecht when it comes to his complete floor game. He may never be a prolific long-range bomber, but he is a solid passer who can make plays via secondary actions in the half court. Combine that with his activity on the glass, and it's easy to see how he's going to carve out a meaningful role alongside Luka Dončić and LeBron James when both superstars are able to play at the same time.
The path forward for success is much more narrow for Knecht. He has to shoot the 3-ball often and efficiently if he wants to see the floor for the Lakers. He's a clear minus on defense that doesn't offer his team much via passing or rebounding. The only way Knecht can become an important part of any NBA team is if he starts to shoot the ball well from 3.
The real challenge for LaRavia is for him to lean into the role of becoming a long-range bomber for the Lakers. He's only averaging 4.6 3-point attempts per 36 minutes. That's not enough volume for a Los Angeles team that needs to create as much spacing without James' passing ability on the floor. Taking another 3-pointer or two every game should be a priority for LaRavia in the coming weeks.
Some Lakers fans might want to see what Knecht might be able to do with more playing time, but he has not done anything to earn that kind or role this season. LaRavia's arrival might ultimately be the impetus to Knecht playing his basketball somewhere outside of Los Angeles in the very near future.