Brownie defeated Knecht in Summer United match, gradually showing potential as a two-way player

According to US sports media F/W reporter Gautam Varyl. Brownie James struggled as a rookie in the Lakers’ NBA summer league, but that wasn’t the case as a sophomore. James has always been one of the best players on the Las Vegas Lakers and has even successfully surpassed Knecht. James is the 55th overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, averaging 13.0 points, 2.7 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 0.7 steals and 0.3 blocks in the NBA Summer League. He shot 44.8% from the field and 31.3% from three-pointers.

James played his best in his last game against the Los Angeles Clippers, with 17 points (6-10 FG), five rebounds and five assists. The 20-year-old looks like he has the control and is the best player on both offense and defense. It's incredible to see James make such great progress in a year. Last year in the NBA 2K25 Summer League, he averaged 8.8 points, 3.5 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 0.8 steals and 0.5 blocks per game while shooting 35.0% from the field and 15.8% from outside the three-point line.

These manifestations lead to questions about whether James really belongs to this level. The Lakers have been criticized for choosing him, but he is now starting to shut up some people who doubt him. James will never be a superstar, but he is proving that he has the potential to be a reliable two-way player in the NBA one day. He is already a pest in defense, but overall he needs to improve his shooting and offensive abilities.

Although shooting has always been a question mark for James, Kneckett has never been like this. That outside shot has already left the 24-year-old abandoned in the NBA Summer League, though. Knecht averaged 11.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.0 steals per game in Las Vegas, shooting 29.0% from the field and 26.7% from outside the three-point line. You never thought he would come up with these numbers after seeing how he performed last year. In the summer league, they averaged 21.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.7 steals and 0.7 blocks per game. He was once called the biggest steal in the 2024 NBA draft (No. 17 pick), but now seems to have taken a step back. James and Knecht are currently moving in the opposite direction, hoping that the latter will eventually turn the situation around.

LeBron James' message to Brownie James

LeBron James has participated in several Brownie games and he was impressed by what he saw from his son. After that game against the Clippers, LeBron posted a message on Instagram. "Keep on, kid! Only you know your personal legend!

LeBron will certainly be proud of the progress his son has made. James said the game started to slow down for him and he was getting more and more adaptable to time. That's exactly what you want to hear from players entering their second season. James is still unlikely to be part of the Lakers' 2024-25 season rotation. He needs to make greater progress on the offensive end to get a big time in the NBA for a team eager to compete for the championship. Now, though, James will focus on the summer league, where he will make a comeback against the Boston Celtics on Thursday at 9 p.m. ET.