The Los Angeles Lakers played their first game of the California Classic on Saturday against the Sacramento Kings. It was a highly anticipated game mainly due to L.A.’s second-round draft pick, Bronny James. James made his Lakers summer league debut and did his best to make an impact. 

James scored four points on 2-for-9 shooting in a 108-94 loss in the summer league opener. The No. 55 pick has been under the microscope since his birth, and the fact that he is the son of superstar LeBron James and a Laker will only amplify that. 

James didn’t play his best game, but that didn’t stop the ESPN experts from analyzing how he looked in his first-ever taste of the NBA. 

ESPN’s Kendra Andrews, Baxter Holmes, and Dave McMenamin reacted to James’ first-ever NBA game. 

 “Quiet, and that’s not a bad thing,” Andrews said. “There’s only so much to take away from the first California Classic game. James and fellow rookie Dalton Knecht both struggled from the field — Knecht scored 12 points on 3-for-12 shooting — so that’s something to monitor as summer league continues. It wasn’t surprising that James didn’t have a stellar debut, and it will be more important to see small improvements as his summer league continues.” 

“Uneventful, and that’s more than fine,” said Holmes. “He’ll need 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 co-MVP of summer league after averaging 24.2 points in five games. He 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 before playing in Russia and Spain. The lesson, as NBA executives have long recited, is not to overreact to any summer league performances, be they good, bad or anywhere in the middle. Future stars have floundered, future busts have thrived.”

“To be expected,” said McMenamin. “His production wasn’t too far off what he did as a freshman at USC. The most significant part of his day, to me, was the Lakers’ commitment to starting him and giving him a good amount of playing time even as he struggled with his shot. Growing pains can be tough to watch play out with thousands of fans in the stands, but it’s a necessary part of the process if James is going to become the player that he and the Lakers hope. He is far from a finished product, but the game proved that L.A. is indeed invested in his development.”

It’s easy to overreact to James’ first-ever game, and that’s what people will do. However, these ESPN experts didn’t overreact and were reasonable regarding their analysis of his first game. 

James was a No. 55 pick for a reason. He may not set the world on fire with his offensive prowess, but once he finds his footing in the league, he could eventually make an impact with his defense, hustle, and occasional offensive output. James will be just fine, and we can’t wait to see how he develops in the coming months. 

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