They say you only get one chance to make a first impression. If that’s true, Dalton Knecht’s debut with the New York Knicks was about as good as it gets.

Josh Hart missed Wednesday night’s game against the Chicago Bulls with right ankle soreness, paving the way for Landry Shamet to start, and opening up minutes in head coach Mike Brown’s bench rotation.

No one anticipated it would be Knecht who would be the primary beneficiary. He was made active prior to tip-off, and got his first game action in the first half.

Knecht announced himself promptly, getting up for a putback dunk reminiscent of OG Anunoby’s famous tip-in from Game 4 of the NBA Finals.

Then he nailed a step-back three to give New York an 84-54 lead at the break.

Knecht finished his Knicks–and Madison Square Garden–debut with 10 points, seven rebounds, an assist, and a block in 16 minutes. He flashed all the three-level scoring prowess that earned him a first-round draft selection in 2024.

Brown: Knecht a ‘scorer’ and a shooter

New York’s head coach was giddy over Knecht’s debut, having some fun with the media while praising the 25-year-old wing:

“He’s scorer,” Brown said on November 4. “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 he can go get it; he can shoot from range, he’s got a medium game, he can get to the rim, he can pass. He’s gotta work defensively, and I thought tonight he tried to play within himself and contributed the best way he could. There were a couple of things defensively where he could do a little better, and that’s what he’s gotta really concentrate on. But I thought he gave us a nice little lift, especially offensively.”

Knecht stays ready

Knecht didn’t let the Madison Square Garden crowd take him out of the game, not even after his putback dunk to score his first Knicks points:

“It was great,” Knecht told reporters. “Honestly I didn’t hear much just because I’m so locked in, but it was good. Pretty much my first play was a putback dunk so it’s cool, it’s great.”

When asked about his approach, Knecht emphasized the same three-level scoring ability while acknowledging his room for growth defensively:

“I think I just go out there and impact the game on all three levels,” Knecht said postgame on November 4. “And I just wanna show on the other side of the ball, getting the ball pressure and stuff like that and going in and grabbing defensive rebounds.”

It was a night to remember for Knecht. But he’s hoping it’s the start of a resurgence to his NBA career. He’ll say ready until his number is called again:

“Be ready so you don’t have to get ready,” Knecht said on his outlook in New York. “Just watching on the bench and talking to my teammates is really helpful and it was easy to get in there and play confident. All the guys out there gave me a good look.”

Knecht gives the Knicks some size on a bench that currently features more guards than anything. He’s 6-foot-6 with a 6-foot-9 wingspan. He was an intriguing flier for New York when he signed, and Wednesday night’s showing warrants keeping at least half an eye on Knecht this season.

Unless the injury to Hart keeps him out, don’t look for Knecht in Friday’s game against the Cleveland Cavaliers, where the New York Knicks will play visitor to the Eastern Conference Rivals. Tip-off is scheduled for 8:00 pm EST.