Kneckett is overrated! 5 of 20 shots in two games, 0 of 9 three-pointers, and the transaction value is only the second round of picks?

On July 8, the focus of the NBA offseason turned to the summer league. However, the Lakers' No. 17 pick Dalton Kneckett, the first round selected by the Lakers this year, suffered a disappointing start in the spotlight. After two summer league games, the rising star, who was highly anticipated, performed as a disaster, which not only caused fierce criticism from the US media, but also revealed that his transaction value had fallen to freezing point.

In the first two summer league games of the Lakers' win and one loss, Kneckett's performance was seriously inconsistent with the draft pick. He averaged only 7 points per game, and what was even more dazzling was his inefficient offensive performance: he only made 5 goals in total 20 shots, with a poor shooting percentage of 25%; he even made 9 attempts from outside three-pointers, and he was completely silent. To make matters worse, he made 5 mistakes on the court, and he seemed struggling and lost on both ends of the offense and defense.

Such a bad performance naturally caused storms in the public opinion field. Anthony F. Irwin, a well-known Lakers team reporter, bluntly revealed the true value of Kneckett in the eyes of the league management: "Kneckett's current trading value is very low. I have seen many Lakers fans list him as a bargaining chip in various trading ideas, believing that he is worth a first-round pick or at least close to the first-round value. But the cruel reality is that the general view within the league is that his current trading value is worth only one second-round pick." This statement undoubtedly poured cold water on the optimistic Lakers fans.

Rookie wall or not adapt to the local environment? The value revaluation sounded the alarm

From the expectation of being selected by the Lakers in the middle of the first round to being generally declining by the league to only being worth one second round pick, Kneckett's value has experienced an avalanche decline in a very short period of time. Although the summer league sample is small and the intensity of the confrontation is limited, the problems he showed such as shooting errors and decision-making hesitation are clearly visible.

For the Lakers management, Irwin's revelations are like a wake-up call. If Kneckett cannot quickly rebound in subsequent games or training camps to prove himself, not only will the fan's fantasy of "first round value" be completely shattered, but his actual weight in the team's future planning will also be greatly reduced. This rookie, who should have injected fresh vitality into the Purple and Gold Legion, is facing the first severe test of his career. The time left for Kneckett to prove himself is passing by with every shot of iron.