LOS ANGELES — During the Los Angeles Lakers’ Media Day on Sept. 29, 2025, second-year guard Dalton Knecht said an overly aggressive training schedule left him exhausted before his appearances in the California Classic and Las Vegas Summer Leagues.
Knecht explained that he began three workouts a day almost immediately after the Lakers’ first-round playoff exit to the Minnesota Timberwolves. Determined to secure a postseason role next spring, he admitted the heavy load “completely drained” him by July, contributing to inefficient shooting and limited defensive impact in Summer League play—an uncommon outcome for a second-year player.
Head coach JJ Redick had referenced the burnout earlier in his pre-Media Day remarks, noting that Knecht’s struggles were tied to the intense post-season regimen. The guard said he and Redick have since discussed managing workload more effectively so he can stay fresh once regular-season games begin next month.
While there is no immediate expectation for perfection, Los Angeles plans to keep Knecht in the mix for rotation minutes. Coaches believe he must balance effort and recovery to deliver consistent production when called upon.
Redick also spent the offseason reviewing the Lakers’ five-game defeat to Minnesota—a series Los Angeles entered with home-court advantage after finishing as the Western Conference’s No. 3 seed via a three-team tiebreaker. The head coach described certain decisions from that matchup as his “biggest regret,” though he did not detail specific adjustments he would change.
The Lakers open training camp this week as they work to integrate Knecht’s lessons from a taxing summer into their broader push to return to playoff contention.
Source: Lakers Nation
