Hot Takes on Lakers' Bronny James, Dalton Knecht vs. Celtics

Monday's Summer League game was one to forget for Bronny James and the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Boston Celtics cruised to an 88-74 victory over Los Angeles as the USC product's struggles continued with another lackluster showing while playing under the additional attention that comes with being the son of the legendary LeBron James.

The younger James finished with two points on 1-of-5 shooting from the field. While he added three rebounds, he also went 0-of-3 from three-point range and is yet to hit a shot from deep during Summer League play.

James is playing with far more pressure than a normal late-second-round pick given his family affiliations and the scrutiny that brings, but Lakers fans were surely hoping to see more signs of his potential than this in the summer.

Social media reacted to his performance:

Los Angeles fans can at least take solace knowing the team's other 2024 draft pick looks well on his way to being a contributor as soon as his rookie season.

Dalton Knecht, who was the No. 17 overall pick of the 2024 NBA draft, finished with 19 points, three rebounds, three steals and two assists while flashing with a number of impressive plays.

The Tennessee product drew praise from social media:

While James is going to make more headlines at this point of their careers, Knecht is the rookie who is far more likely to be an impact player for the Purple and Gold in their rookie seasons.

He can help anchor the second unit with his outside shooting and ability to get to the basket, which could be just the spark needed to help Los Angeles compete in the loaded Western Conference and provide enough support for the likes of LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

Knecht looked the part of an important rookie Monday even in defeat.