Hot Takes on Lakers' Bronny James, Dalton Knecht vs. Heat with Kel'el Ware Out
Los Angeles Lakers rookies Bronny James and Dalton Knecht played another California Classic summer league game Wednesday, falling 82-78 to the Miami Heat in San Francisco's Chase Center.
James had a quiet offensive night (three points on 1-of-3 shooting) but excelled defensively (three blocks, two steals) and finished plus-eight in the Lakers' 80-76 loss. He also added five rebounds and three assists in his 29 minutes.
James' field goal came off a Knecht dish on the fast break.
His two steals also directly led to points off turnovers, including this Maxwell Lewis bucket.
Knecht had a solid night with 20 points and nine rebounds.
Ten of his points came in the first quarter alone. He capped the scoring with a corner three.
Keshad Johnson and Alondes Williams each scored 21 points for Miami, which finished the game on a 10-0 run. Heat rookie center Kel'el Ware, the No. 15 draft pick, had the night off.
People are obviously going to look at James' scoring totals (he scored just four points in his first summer league outing) and express concerns. James has work to do in that department, but in fairness, the 19-year-old is only two summer league games into his pro career.
However, he's certainly showing promise in other areas, particularly on the defensive end, which could be his calling card in the league. Fans expressed optimism for his work on that end alongside other contributions.
Knecht, meanwhile, showcased the offensive promise that led to L.A. taking the consensus first-team All-American with the No. 17 overall draft pick. Fans took note.
Up next for the Lakers is a date with the Houston Rockets on July 12 to kick off the Las Vegas portion of the summer league schedule. Tipoff is 7:30 p.m. ET.
