Bronny James makes Lakers Summer League debut: The good, bad and don't matter

After being the No. 55 overall pick by the Los Angeles Lakers, Bronny James took an NBA floor for the first time on Saturday. Of course, playing in NBA Summer League in the California Classic against the Sacramento Kings' second-team roster isn't the same as actual NBA action but it's the best we've got right now.

James and the Lakers' first-round pick, Dalton Knecht, started for LA in the matchup. Ultimately, that wasn't enough to propel them to a win as they took a 14-point loss to the Kings on Saturday afternoon.

But in the case of LeBron James' son, all eyes were on him after all the attention he's received before and now after the NBA Draft. So how did he fare and what does it mean for a young player with unmatched NBA bloodlines but who also might be heading to the G-League to develop in his first pro season? We're breaking his performance down with some of the good, some of the bad, and one big thing you definitely should not care about.

Bronny James stats: How Lakers rookie fared in his Summer League debut

Bronny James logged 21:43 for the Lakers in his first taste of pro and Summer League action. He finished the night with four points, two rebounds, two assists and a steal while shooting just 2-of-9 from the floor and 0-of-3 from 3-point range in the contest. He also missed his only two free throw attempts. However, he did not commit a turnover or a personal foul in the game and finished with a -15 plus-minus rating when he was on the floor in the 108-94 loss.

What does that all mean for Bronny in his first in-game action outside of the lone season at USC? We have some thoughts.

The Good from Bronny James' Summer League debut

We'll start off with the positives for Bronny James, and there were plenty. One of the things that stood for the younger James was his explosiveness as an athlete. He showed it on both of his buckets in the game, most notably on his first basket as he accelerated quickly into the lane, then showed some burst to the rim for a nice lay-up.

Beyond that, we also saw flashes of his high basketball IQ, particularly on the defensive end of the floor. The most notable play was his lone steal of the game. Not only did he show the wherewithal to anticipate and jump the passing lane to get the steal, he immediately got out in transition and made the right play, ultimately getting the hockey assist on a Lakers bucket.

Though it may seem small, I'd also point out his effort in this game. Whether with the ball, on defense, on the boards or in transition, James clearly looked hungry when he was on the floor. For a player with his lineage, there could've been some concern there but Bronny put that to bed with a strong overall effort.

The Bad from Bronny James' Summer League debut

Despite the effort that Bronny showed in this game, it was also abundantly clear that the speed and pace of the NBA game -- even in Summer League -- was a shock to the system for James. There were multiple instances where it almost looked as if you could see his head spinning with the way things were moving around him and he looked lost.

Moreover, we also saw some occasional lapses in one-on-one defensive situations, the most egregious example was when Kings star of the game, Adonis Arms, went right at him, played a bit physical, and left James on the hardwood with a tough move to get an open shot off.

I would also have liked to see Bronny be a bit more aggressive on the defensive end of the floor consistently. It's actually a bad thing in my book that he came out of this game with zero fouls. Yes, maybe that plays partly into his high IQ on the floor but, at the same time, as he gets his feel for the NBA game, I would like to see him test his athleticism and his physicality on the defensive end when he has the chance in a setting like this -- namely with no foul-outs in Summer League.

What you shouldn't care about from Bronny James' Summer League debut

The absolute biggest thing and, ultimately, the only thing I'm going to point out that I don't care about and that no one else should either is the shooting and scoring in James' first Summer League action. Obviously, it's not a good thing that he was 2-of-9 from the floor but that's also not uncommon in these games. Guys are typically inefficient as scorers, especially players who are stepping on an NBA court for the first time.

What instead needs to be examined is the types of shots that are being taken and how they're getting those looks. On the whole, that was actually a positive for Bronny in the loss to the Kings. There was one or two questionable shot choices but the majority of his shots were good decisions that just didn't fall. That's okay and that can come with work and experience.

But anyone who is ready to call Bronny a bust after one Summer League game because he shot 2-of-9 is just stirring the pot with no regard for logic.