The Los Angeles Lakers, winners of six consecutive games, are the hottest team in the NBA right now — a testament to the work that rookie head coach J.J. Redick is doing.

It’s not easy to run the Lakers — a team that recruits superstars like LeBron James and Anthony Davis but challenges their coaching staff to develop quality young players, too. Bronny James, LeBron‘s son and the first “test case” for Redick‘s development program, is splitting his time between the NBA and the G League in what has been branded a confusing and distracting choice from LA‘s decision-makers. But a 10-4 record — and the blossoming of another talented rookie — makes the Bronny controversy much easier to stomach.

Knecht knows best

Before the 2024 NBA Draft, University of Tennessee sharpshooter Dalton Knecht was tipped as a possible #1 overall pick. But he fell to 17th — and the Lakers jumped at the chance to add the small forward.

Tuesday night was Knecht‘s “breakout game”. Knecht exploded for 37 points against the Utah Jazz, hitting nine 3-pointers as the Lakers secured a 124-118 victory. Knecht’s performance led Anthony Davis, one of the team’s leaders, to shout him out on Instagram — and to crown him as the team’s best shooter.

Knecht is averaging better than 11 points per game and is offering the Lakers a vital release valve with his long-range shooting. His immediate success as a rookie is offering LeBron and LA a “way out” of the Bronny controversy that they manufactured during the draft.

With the Lakers sitting third in the Western Conference and fighting to retain the NBA Cup, Redick will be keen to stick with what is working and to minimize the other distractions in Lakerland. More performances like that from LA’s prized rookie will be more than welcome.