Lakers fans are chewing out their second year after JJ Redick’s reaction to his major mistake goes viral


JJ Redick’s reaction to a piece involving Dalton Knecht against the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday has gone viral. In the sequence, Marcus Smart signaled for action, prompting Knecht to move toward the LA Lakers point guard to set a screen. Smart waved him away insistently while Redick threw his hands up in frustration.

Fans reacted to the piece:

“I was laughing watching this live on my TV last night lmao. Dalton is broken I’m afraid.”

@Tim_NBA I was cracking up watching this live on my TV last night lmao. Dalton is broken, I’m afraid.

A fan said:

@Tim_NBA DisKnechted 💔

Another fan reacted:

@Tim_NBA He needs minutes. It looks good in garbage time because they’re just doing it for free. But in a structured attack, it takes him real minutes to acclimatize.

Another fan continued:

@Tim_NBA The funniest part of this was Jax trying to tell Knect what to do and Knect really doesn’t understand. I never thought I would see Jax in a leadership role.

A fan wrote:

@Tim_NBA I’ve been saying for a long time that he has no basketball IQ. That’s why you can’t say he’s athletic. He has no idea what he’s doing, so he thinks through every move instead of doing things instinctively. Not an NBA player. Get him out of here. It’s embarrassing.

In said play, Dalton Knecht, standing on the weak side, was supposed to use the screen set by Jaxson Hayes to sneak up the middle. Instead of doing that, the No. 17 pick in the 2024 draft appeared to the left of Ja Morant to give Smart Marcus a screen. Redick threw his hands up in frustration as Smart ordered Knecht to the corner.

Once Knecht got out of the way, Hayes gave Smart a screen to Morant’s right. The former Boston Celtics guard quickly drove to the basket just as Hayes was driving toward the paint. Smart threw up a floater that Jaren Jackson Jr. couldn’t contest.

JJ Redick sent Luka Doncic for Dalton Knecht a few plays after the second-year guard missed a play. Knecht went 0-for-2 with a turnover in 11 minutes.

JJ Redick gradually limited Dalton Knecht’s minutes

Dalton Knecht averaged 7.6 points in 19.0 minutes per game in October. A month later, the figure dropped to 5.9 ppg from 15.5 mpg. December saw his minutes and production drop even further. The former Tennessee star averaged 4.4 ppg in 7.8 mpg last month.

After so much promise last season, Knecht’s game and confidence seem to have collapsed. He had periods where he looked ready to challenge for a spot in the starting unit before defensive lapses kept him on the bench.

The Lakers attempted to move on from Dalton Knecht in the Mark Williams trade in February of last year. Knecht almost played for the Charlotte Hornets before the Lakers nixed the trade due to concerns about Williams’ long injury history.

JJ Redick expressed confidence in Knecht’s improvement ahead of the 2025-26 campaign. About three months into the season, Redick gradually limited Knecht’s minutes.