“F—k the names, just the production, charisma” – Gilbert Arenas says Bronny James has shown he deserves a place ahead of Dalton Knecht originally appeared on Basketball Network.
When Dalton Knecht and Bronny James joined the Los Angeles Lakers in 2024, most fans agreed that despite Bronny being LeBron’s firstborn, Knecht would play a more meaningful role for the team.
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True to those expectations, in the 2024-25 regular season, DK made 51 more appearances than James Jr. — a gap that didn’t raise eyebrows. However, fast-forward to the 2025 Summer League. Now, Gilbert Arenas believes Bronny looks far more comfortable on the court than Knecht.
Arenas praises Bronny
The 2025 Summer League didn’t go particularly well for the Lakers as they won just one contest. But individually, Bronny made a strong impression. He averaged 14.3 points nd 3.8 assists in four games while shooting 47.8 percent from the field. On the other hand, Knecht played in three games and averaged 10.3 points on an astonishingly low 27.9 percent shooting from the field.
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Seeing this disparity, Arenas pointed out how James Jr. looks far more assertive than Knecht, who, in his view, looks hesitant to shoot even on occasions when he is left open. While that trait and low confidence could hinder the flow of the new-look Lakers in the 2025-26 season, Agent Zero seems convinced that it is now time for Bronny to get more minutes for the team on the big stage.
“It’s all about progression. Who looks more like the first-round pick, him or Knecht, right now? F—k the names, just the production, charisma, style and comfortability, who looks more like the first-round pick?” Arenas asked on his show. “Are they three years apart from each other? One looks way more comfortable than the other. One is like, ‘Okay, I’m getting a feel for this.'”
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James Jr. deserves more playing time
There is no denying that Bronny was not at all ready to compete at the NBA level during his rookie year. In the 27 games he played, flashes of talent were there, but confidence was lacking. However, after putting in hard work in the G-League and now performing well in the Summer League, he seems more composed, particularly when he is handling the ball.
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That newfound confidence could earn him a meaningful role off the bench for JJ Redick’s squad next season. As for Knecht, this might be his defining opportunity. The Lakers haven’t traded him yet, indicating they still believe in his potential to evolve into a reliable 3-and-D wing. But for that, he would need to perform much better than in the Summer League.
With both these young players having plenty of potential, it is about time to hand them more meaningful roles on the second team and encourage them to boost the team’s depth, rather than wasting roster spots by not stepping up. Will both of them be able to prove their worth? It remains to be seen as the spotlight on the Lakers is bound to shine bright as the season approaches.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jul 23, 2025, where it first appeared.