Bronny James and Dalton Knecht made their NBA Summer League debuts for the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday in the California Classic against the Sacramento Kings, who won 108-94 behind Adonis Arms’ 32-point, 11-rebound double-double.
James finished with four points on 2-of-9 shooting (0-of-2 from three), two assists, two rebounds and a steal in 22 minutes. Knecht posted 12 points on 3-of-12 shooting (1-of-4 from three), four assists, two rebounds and a steal in 26 minutes.
Both struggled offensively in their debuts, but there were some bright spots for each.
James’ first bucket came off a dribble handoff, barreling downhill for two.
James’ father, Lakers superstar LeBron James, offered his insight from the USA Basketball Olympic training camp in Las Vegas.
James later added a mid-range bucket in the third quarter to cap off his scoring output.
He also grabbed a second-quarter steal that led to a Kyle Mangas layup.
Knecht’s three cut the Kings’ lead to 43-39 late in the second quarter.
He also seemed more comfortable during his final run over the last 2:32 of regulation, scoring six points while recording a steal.
Sure, it wasn’t the greatest showing for either Laker rookie, but this is Game 1 of Summer League action. Everything needs to be taken with a grain of salt. It hasn’t been uncommon to see high lottery picks struggle early in their summer campaigns before ramping things up.
There were still some encouraging things to take away, alongside some reasoned takes from fans who understood that the first game shouldn’t be an indictment on either player.
The Lakers will return to the court on Sunday against the Golden State Warriors at 3:30 p.m. ET on NBA TV.