Throwing away percentages and advanced statistics, there are three types of shooters in the NBA. There are players who can make shots, players who can shoot and shooters. It’s easy to spot the real shooters. The net snaps when the ball swishes through. There’s a different feel in the air when they curl around a screen and a sense of inevitability as their shot arcs toward the hoop. The entire arena buzzes with a near-physical sense of anticipation on hot shooting nights, not just expecting but knowing the next attempt will go in no matter where it’s from.
In rookie Dalton Knecht, the Los Angeles Lakers appear to have found a shooter. And it’s no exaggeration to say it can change everything for the Lakers, both right now and into the far future.
