Bronny James made his Los Angeles Lakers summer league debut Saturday, scoring four points on 2-of-9 shooting in a 108-94 loss to the Sacramento Kings in the opening game of the California Classic.
James, the 55th overall pick by the Lakers in last month’s draft, scored his first points on a drive midway through the second quarter and added a few other highlights in 21 minutes on the court, including a steal that set up a fastbreak basket and a 17-footer after a stepback. James added two assists and two rebounds.
What stood out most about James’ debut and what can we expect from his next summer league appearance? Our NBA insiders analyze his performance and what it means for the rest of the offseason.
Bronny James’ summer league debut was _____.
Kendra Andrews: Quiet, and that’s not a bad thing. There’s little to take away from the first game of the California Classic. James and fellow rookie Dalton Knecht both struggled from the field — Knecht scored 12 points on 3-of-12 shooting — so that’s something to keep an eye on as summer league continues. It’s no surprise that James didn’t have a stellar debut, and it’ll be more important to see small improvements as his summer league continues.
0:29
Bronny’s flight sets up a basket for the Lakers
Bronny James steals the rock, which finds the hands of Kyle Mangas for a Lakers basket.
Baxter Holmes: Uneventful, and that’s more than fine. He’ll have to acclimate to playing with and against fringe NBA players, and that’s what summer league is for. His numbers won’t mean much, and that’s not unusual, either. In 2012, Memphis Grizzlies guard Josh Selby, a second-round pick in 2011, was named summer league co-MVP after averaging 24.2 points in five games. He’s played just 38 games in his NBA career. In 2009, Warriors forward Anthony Randolph, the 13th overall pick in 2008, averaged 26.8 points and 8.5 rebounds per game. In six NBA seasons, he averaged 7.1 points per game before playing in Russia and Spain. The lesson, as NBA executives have long said, is not to overreact to summer league performances, whether good, bad or average. Future stars failed, future failures thrived.
Dave McMenamin: It was to be expected. His production wasn’t far off from what he did as a freshman at USC. The most important part of his day, for me, was the Lakers’ commitment to starting him and giving him plenty of playing time even though he struggled with his shot. The growing pains can be tough to watch with thousands of fans in the stands, but it’s a necessary part of the process if James is to become the player he and the Lakers hope he will be. He’s far from a finished product, but the game proved that LA is indeed invested in his development.
What did we learn about James’ game?
McMenamin: He can turn defense into offense. His best play of the day was jumping into a passing lane to pick off a pass and then immediately pushing it to the other end to set up a Lakers fast break with help from forward Blake Hinson, who fed the ball to guard Kyle Mangas at the basket. James nearly got an interception in the Kings’ backcourt later in the game when he used the same quick acceleration to pick off a pass, but he went out to the sideline before securing possession. The Lakers are hoping James’ play can translate to a harassing perimeter defense, and any offense that comes from that would be a bonus.
Holmes: On defense, I’ve noticed a few instances where opposing players will try to dribble past James and then step back to take a shot or try to drive to the basket. Because of who he is – and who his father is – there will undoubtedly be instances where players will try to score on him if only to prove a point. He’ll face that multiple times in summer league and most likely throughout his career.
Andres: He probably won’t be a ball-handler this season, especially when he’s moving up the court. Maybe it’s a confidence thing, or maybe it’s just not the role they see him playing, but James has rarely handled the ball in transition, after a play-action pass or just to set up a play. At 6’2″, he’s more of a point guard size; however, it seems the Lakers don’t see him as a primary facilitator just yet.
What’s one thing to watch for in James’ upcoming summer league game?
Holmes: I would watch his decision-making. He is still getting to know his teammates, as he is, and there were times when you could see him trying to figure out exactly when to defer or be aggressive. It is hard to imagine the weight of expectations that weigh on him and how it compounds everything. Once he plays a few games, I expect him to look more comfortable. But one thing he will absolutely have to balance — and it happened Saturday — is the crowd reactions and the calls to shoot every time he touches the ball, as fans yelled at him to shoot or drive to the basket, whether he was open or not. James will have to adjust to the general noise of expectations surrounding him, and the crowd reaction Saturday was an early sign of that.
0:19
Bronny makes a dirty move on his defender for a Lakers basket
Bronny James shakes off his defender and scores a basket to bring the Lakers closer.
Andres: I would pay attention to any offensive improvements he makes, especially his shooting, but also the type of defense he can put together. Being able to do the little things is what will help James earn playing time next season, and his edge defense was on display. In his first game, he struggled to defend Adonis Arms, who finished with 32 points and even shook James off his feet on the first play of the game.
McMenamin: This was James’ first basketball game since mid-March, and there was an understandable layer of rust to shake off. Now that the jitters of the first game have passed, expect James to be able to show a little more play after play as this new stage begins to feel less foreign to him. It’s obvious, judging by the way James has approached the game, dating back to his high school days, that he won’t suddenly be looking to score 30 points in one of these games. Maybe next game, he won’t find himself caught between a pull-up jumper and a floater, as he did on one attempt Saturday; or maybe he’ll take another hard dribble after putting his defender on his hip — as Lakers summer league coach Dane Johnson mentioned after the game — and end up with another easy look at the basket. In other words: baby steps.