Dalton Knecht, Bronny James and the Challenges of Developing Talent on Good Teams

Monday, we talked about the challenges Dalton Knecht faced in his rookie season with the Lakers. How much were those challenges responsible for the inconsistencies in his play? How much of it is related to gaps in his skill set or hoops IQ (based on struggles to learn the proper reads on both sides of the ball)? 

And did the Lakers potentially get a little unlucky that Knecht fell into their laps, in the sense that they had less hands-on time with him (no workout, etc.) because they never suspected he'd be available at 17? If hoops IQ turns out to be a limiting factor, is that something the Lakers might have discovered had he been inside the building? Is it fair to worry more about Knecht given his (relatively) advanced age for a second year player?

Or is all of this simply a matter of time? With more of it -- more reps, more experience -- could Knecht hit his stride this season? 

And is Knecht limited by circumstance? The Lakers are a team competing for something in the West. They have aspirations. They are not in great position to give rotation minutes to a player who needs extensive freedom to make mistakes, or learn on the job. Meanwhile, Bronny James, the 55th pick a year ago, who certainly wasn't expected to contribute for at least a year or more, was put on a much more traditional development path. With the G-League, he was given the keys to the offense, and asked to run the same sets over and over and over again until the reads became more natural. 

The results? Bronny seems to have advanced far more significantly from year 1 to 2 than Knecht. Granted, that's based on Summer League as much as anything, but still reinforces how context is often key in professional sports. 

HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky

SEGMENT 1: Looking at Dalton's development. 

SEGMENT 2: Are the Lakers in position to help him grow? 

SEGMENT 3: Dalton's development vs. Bronny's. 

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