JJ Redick drops major hint on Dalton Knecht's chances of cracking playoff rotation after Pelicans vs. Lakers 

On Friday, LA Lakers guard Dalton Knecht made his presence felt as the leading scorer off the bench, contributing 12 points on an efficient 5-for-10 shooting. Solid contributions like these are exactly what the 23-year-old rookie needs to put on display as the playoffs loom on the horizon.

After the Lakers defeated the New Orleans Pelicans 124-108 at Crypto.com Arena, Daniel Starkand of LakersNation.com brought up Knecht's prospects with head coach JJ Redick, who expressed confidence in the promising young guard:

"We feel like he's a guy who can help us win a game in the playoffs. Maybe multiple games," Redick said.

In his first season in the league, the 6-foot-6 Knecht is averaging 9.1 points on 46.0% shooting from the field. His contributions will be much needed by the Lakers, whose bench scoring (26.1 ppg) is the second-worst in the league.

Also, when Redick talked about Knecht winning playoff games for the Lakers, he could be referring to the rookie's ability to space the floor with his shooting. Of the four Lakers who have played at least 60 games, Knecht's 37.1% shooting from beyond the arc is second only to LeBron James' 38.0%.

In addition, among all active Lakers, Knecht is eighth in minutes played per game (19.6). It's not out of the realm of possibility, then, that Redick will call Knecht's number and field the rookie guard for a respectable amount of time during the playoffs.

Dalton Knecht offers special treat for former college team amid NCAA tournament run

Knecht, of course, was able to command the attention of NBA scouts during his final two years in college. As a junior playing for the Tennessee Volunteers, Knecht averaged 21.7 ppg on 39.7% shooting from deep.

This year, the Vols went as far as the Elite Eight in the NCAA tournament. During their March Madness run, Knecht recently set up a nice treat for his former team.

From the comfort of their Gainbridge Fieldhouse suite, the Vols watched as Knecht and the LA Lakers defeated the Indiana Pacers 120-119 off a last-second LBJ tip-in. Though Knecht had just three points and a rebound in this game, he was a +18 off the bench.