Bronny James disappoints in matchup with top pick Cooper Flagg

The battle between James and No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg on the first night of Las Vegas Summer League was a hot ticket, and it paid off early. James hit an early stepback 17-footer and followed it up with a three-pointer for the game's first five points.

Flagg took longer to get going, but halfway through the first quarter, he stole the ball and raced past two Lakers for a dunk, then grabbed a rebound and stuck a stepback jumper.

But after his first two buckets, James missed his next six field goal attempts, finishing 1-for-6 behind the arc. He finished with eight points, two rebounds and two assists. The crowd at the Thomas & Mack Center went crazy for James, but he didn't show after his initial flurry.

Flagg's shot was off as well. He shot 5-for-21 from the field and missed all five of his his three-point attempts. But the top overall pick did contribute in other ways, grabbing six rebounds, dishing four assists and getting three steals. He had a huge block with just over a minute to go, which he followed by finding Ryan Nembhard for the game-winning three.

The most exciting play of the game might have been a Flagg dunk that didn't actually go in.

It was overall a successful game for Flagg, despite his shooting struggles. The crown was behind both young players, and Flagg tried to go for it, missing his own jumper seconds before James at the end.

It was not a good game for James, who did not look like a player with a year of NBA experience under his belt. He struggled to get past Mavericks defenders, who seemed content to let James clank jumpers. If James isn't shooting well or driving, he's not putting any pressure on even a Summer League defense. And on defense, he's not big enough to make a notable impact.

For Lakers fans hoping for James to contribute, it was disheartening. Last season, James didn't even have a full college season under his belt. After a year on an NBA roster, he didn't look much better than last summer. James couldn't even outplay Maxwell Lewis, who was traded off of last year's Lakers in the Dorian Finney-Smith deal.

The Vegas crowd is still firmly behind James. He needs to show more in the Lakers' next games if his team's coaching staff is going to remain in his corner.