Bronny James struggled to make an offensive impact in the Los Angeles Lakers’ Las Vegas Summer League opener on Thursday, finishing with single-digit scoring and missing a contested three-pointer that would have won the game against the Dallas Mavericks. He started quickly, hitting a triple that gave him the team’s first five points, but was held scoreless after halftime as the Lakers fell to Dallas in a tight finish. James shot 2-for-8 overall and 1-for-6 from beyond the arc, falling short of the 10.5-point betting line and underscoring questions about his offensive ceiling. The 20-year-old guard spent much of the night guarding top draft pick Cooper Flagg, a matchup that generated heavy interest—courtside seats reportedly sold for more than $3,000 despite the game’s exhibition status. Afterward, James downplayed his scoring role, telling ESPN, “I’m a defensive player; I’m not going to be the guy who scores.” The second-year pro appeared in only 27 regular-season games last year and is using summer league minutes to solidify a roster spot. His willingness to lean into a defense-first identity could shape how the Lakers deploy him when training camp opens this fall.