Dalton Knecht should be the Rookie of the Year leader after 37-point explosion
Welcome to Layup Lines, For the Win's basketball newsletter. Subscribe here to get it delivered to your inbox every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Have feedback for the Layup Lines Crew? Leave your questions, comments and concerns through this brief reader survey. Now, here's Prince J. Grimes.
What's up, hoops fans. Welcome back to Layup Lines. And a special shoutout to the Cleveland Cavaliers for not completely folding last night. We appreciate you for giving us something to stick around for, even if the undefeated record is no more.
But we'll have plenty of time to talk Celtics-Cavs, as it seems that's a matchup we'll get down the road with bigger stakes. Today, I want to talk about the wide-open NBA Rookie of the Year race, because we have a new top contender and he goes by the name of Dalton Knecht.
After going off 37 points and tying a rookie record with nine 3-pointers in the Los Angeles Lakers' win over the Utah Jazz on Tuesday, Knecht's ROY odds moved from +2500 a week ago to +225 at BetMGM, making him the second favorite behind Philadelphia 76ers guard Jared McCain at +140.
Knecht played out of his mind, knocking down 12-of 16 field goals, continuing a streak of hot play that started last week. In fact, Tuesday's game was the third time in the last four games Knecht set a new career high in scoring after he went off for 27 on Saturday and 19 last Wednesday.
When LeBron James said the 16 teams that passed on Knecht in the draft messed up, he wasn't kidding.
DALTON KNECHT HAD HIMSELF A NIGHT:
🔥 37 PTS (career high)
🔥 9 3PM (ties rookie record)
🔥 Scored 22 straight for LA@Lakers move 2-0 in #EmiratesNBACup play and are undefeated going back to last season 💯 pic.twitter.com/OjMOeKxY4p— NBA (@NBA) November 20, 2024
And here's the thing, even at +225, Knecht remains a good bet. Considering his role and how much success the Lakers are having, he'll be able to carve out the best combination of production and narrative around his ROY campaign as the season continues.
Though McCain's 15.2-point average is more than Knecht at 11.3, he's likely take a step back as Joel Embiid, Paul George and Tyrese Maxey all work their way back from injuries. It also doesn't help that the Sixers are 2-11.
Zach Edey, who had top odds a week ago, has slipped to +1500 after suffering an ankle injury that has him week-to-week. His stats are as good as any rookie at 11.1 points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.0 blocks, but the Grizzlies are treading water at 8-7 after another Ja Morant injury. And they probably won't keep pace with the 10-4 Lakers even when healthy again.
Knecht has comparable stats and a superior team to other top rookies, and he's already settled into his role. Just as important, at 23 years old, he can be trusted to sustain that success over some of the younger rookies like 19-year-olds Zaccharie Risacher (+1100) and Bub Carrington (+1200).
Bettors won't be caught off guard. Knecht is top three at BetMGM in both tickets and money wagered in the Rookie of the Year market.
Do the 76ers have a Joel Embiid problem?
Remember when the 76ers were the biggest winners of the offseason after revamping their entire roster around Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey, including the splash signing of Paul George?
Yeah, well nothing has gone according to plan since then. At 2-11, the Sixers have the worst record in the NBA, and apparently things have been so bad they needed to call a meeting after Monday's loss to the Heat to clear the air on a few things, ESPN's Shams Charania reported.
In that meeting, the 24-year-old Maxey apparently had to call out Embiid about his tardiness, and yikes. That does not sound like a situation destined for success. We've been thinking Embiid was the cure to all that ails the Sixers, but as our guy Mike Sykes wrote, he might actually be the problem.
The fact that this needed to happen so early in the season when the team looks as bad as it has since the early days of The Process is not a great sign for things at all.
Philly isn’t supposed to be a bottom feeder. This is a team that was put together to compete at the top of the East. It’s not too late to do that. But, to simply win 50 games again, Philly would have to win 48 of its next 69 games. That’s not impossible, but it’s tough to do. And if Joel Embiid isn’t locked in, it won’t happen.
At this point, 50 wins probably won't happen even if Embiid is locked in. But it definitely won't happen if the big man isn't the leader they need him to be.
Shootaround
-- Aliyah Boston hysterically told Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson to challenge a call
-- This latest mock draft has BYU star Egor Demin on the Jazz
-- Shaq and Charles Barkley bet millions on Inside the NBA
-- Chicago Bulls great Bob Love dies at 81
That's all for today, folks. Knicks-Suns should be a fun one tonight, but I'm also keeping an eye on the Sixers to see if they can get back in the win column in Memphis. Take care.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: Dalton Knecht should be the Rookie of the Year leader after 37-point explosion
