Bronny James logs first NBA highlights as he makes Lakers pre-season debut

Digging into Bronny James' NBA pre-season debut for the Los Angeles Lakers.

With no LeBron James or Anthony Davis playing in the Los Angeles Lakers' pre-season debut, all the attention quickly shifted toward Bronny James. And Dalton Knecht. It perhaps may have started with whether Bronny would actually see the floor, but it would quickly shift as Knecht would steal the show. More on Knecht in a bit. But first, how did Bronny do in his first real NBA action?

In 16 minutes played, Bronny would finish with two points, one assist, and three blocks on 1-6 shooting from the field. It was a far from ideal start for Bronny but hardly surprising considering he's viewed as more of a developmental player than one that will be ready to contribute much to the team this season. All in all, it was his defensive natural abilities that did stand out during his pre-season debut for the Lakers.

If nothing else, that's certainly something the team can start building around when it comes to his development. And, in fact, it's his defensive abilities that are likely going to pop first for him as he makes the transition to the NBA game.

While Bronny may not see much regular-season action this year for the Lakers, these pre-season reps could end up being extremely valuable for his development as a player. Even though he may look pretty raw as he gets his feet wet in pre-season, it will be important for the coaching staff to continue to give him time to acclimate to the speed and quickness of the NBA game in pre-season.

Dalton Knecht steals the show for the Los Angeles Lakers

Even though most fans were probably most looking forward to seeing how Bronny would look in his first real NBA action, it was the team's first-round draft pick who would steal the show in the first game of pre-season. Knecht, who was the No. 17 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft by the Lakers, would finish with 16 points, three rebounds, and two assists on 7-13 shooting in 25 minutes of action.

As what was expected, Knecht continued to show his potential on the offensive end of the floor - what he started to do during his time in the NBA Summer League. As we inch closer to the start of the regular season, Knecht could emerge as a more and more important player for the team.

After an offseason in which they did not make any other additions to their roster, Knecht could play an important role for the Lakers off the bench as they look for more offensive firepower. And if his showing in his pre-season debut is any indication, there's a chance the Lakers may have struck gold with taking Knecht.