Dalton Knecht made his New York Knicks debut on Wednesday against the Chicago Bulls.

The 17th overall pick in the 2024 NBA draft was signed by the Knicks after being waived by the Los Angeles Lakers ahead of the start of the regular season.

Prior to joining the Knicks, Knecht had played in 132 games with the Lakers and averaged 7.1 points on 46% shooting and 36% from three. He was drafted as a knockdown shooter out of Tennessee.

Against the Bulls, Knecht scored ten points and grabbed seven rebounds in 16 minutes. He went 4-for-6 from the field and 2-for-4 from three.

After the game, Knicks head coach Mike Brown said of Knecht, “He's a scorer. He's not just a shooter. A lot of people think he's a shooter because he's white. I said it for you. I hope I don't get in trouble. But I mean, he can go get it”

Brown said it was a gut feeling to give Knecht minutes at the end of the first half after not playing him all season.

He noted that Knecht can shoot from range and medium range while also getting to the rim and setting up others, but admitted that he does need to work on the defensive end.

“Tonight, he tried to play within himself,” said Brown.

Brown credited Knecht for giving the Knicks a lift on the offensive end.

The Knicks bench is already one of the better benches in the league in terms of scoring. Brown is not afraid to give different role players any number of minutes, knowing it will pay off later in the season and in the playoffs.

While Miles McBride has been a staple in the rotation, he played only 11 minutes on Wednesday. Tyler Kolek played only 10 minutes, and Jose Alvarado was only on the floor for nine minutes, though he is still working his way back from injury and this wasn’t a competitive game.

If Knecht can prove to be more of a scorer than a shooter, that will go a long way in keeping him on the floor as the Knicks put pressure on the rim, but don’t put the ball through the hoop once they get there.

One strong game against the Bulls won’t suddenly mean Knecht has a permanent spot in the rotation, but it could go a long way in rebuilding his confidence after an up-and-down career with the Lakers.