All eyes have been on Bronny James throughout the NBA Summer League — both on and off the court.

It began earlier this month in San Francisco at the California Classic, where there was a strong turnout from Los Angeles Lakers and LeBron James fans. Chants of “We want Bronny!” were heard throughout the July 7 contest against the Warriors, the lone game the No. 55 pick sat out. The attention continued to Las Vegas, where even the signage at the Las Vegas airport and the throw rug at UNLV’s Thomas & Mack Center concourse promoted Bronny’s stardom.

The 19-year-old can’t walk through the hotel lobby without multiple security guards shielding him and a dozen or so fans seeking pictures and autographs. He’s often the topic of conversation among league personnel when discussing the Lakers. And anytime he touches the ball, let alone scores, the pro-Lakers crowds buzz as if he were attempting a game-winning shot.

The attention has inevitably come with plenty of hype and even more scrutiny for Bronny, who signed a four-year, $7.9 million contract to earn an official roster spot. Until his mini-breakout Wednesday night against the Atlanta Hawks, Bronny had not been a net positive in any of his five summer games in San Francisco and Las Vegas.

But his 3-and-D performance in the Lakers’ 87-86 win over the Hawks — 12 points on 5-of-11 shooting, two 3-pointers, one steal, one charge — was the Lakers’ vision for Bronny in summer league and the G League.

Of course, one good game doesn’t erase the four prior contests. Though five summer-league games, Bronny is averaging 5.8 points, 3.2 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.2 steals, numbers largely in line with his pedestrian averages at USC. He’s shooting just 28.6 percent, 10 percent on 3s and 50 percent on free throws. Those figures combine to form a 32.5 true shooting percentage, the worst mark on the summer roster among the regular rotation players by a solid margin.

James’ play has been rough. He’s often looked out of sorts in a less competitive setting than the G League and a much less competitive one than the NBA. Though he was always unlikely to contribute as a rookie, he’s underperformed by even modest expectations.

The Lakers, publicly and privately, maintain that they will be patient with his development, no matter how loud the external noise gets.

“He’s trying to find his way,” South Bay Lakers and summer-league coach Dane Johnson said earlier this week. “He’s trying to find the offense. Again, trying to get more reps with our guys to feel comfortable. But not worried about him. I’ve seen him shoot. I’ve seen him play.”

The offensive end is a work in progress. Bronny has been playing as a shooting guard, often camping out in the opposite corner or wing. The upside of that role is it allows him to use his preternatural cutting instincts to find openings against unsuspecting defenses. The downside: It forces him into end-of-shot-clock situations, which have tested his limited isolation and shot creation abilities. He’s air-balled multiple shots, stepped out of bounds on the sideline multiple times and has more turnovers than assists. His confidence has understandably looked shaken at various points.

“I’m just going to the film and I’m looking at things that I always do,” Bronny said last week. “There’s things that I should focus on and make sure I’m going over and stuff like that. Yeah, just always focusing on playing as hard as I can on the defensive end and whatever open looks I get on the offensive end, take it.”

Bronny has competed well defensively, especially in the California Classic, which included a three-block, two-steal performance against Miami. He’s pressured the ball, slithered around screens and jostled for position with bigger players. His defense is his strength and the skill most NBA evaluators tout.

New Lakers head coach JJ Redick, who has mentioned Lu Dort and Jrue Holiday as examples of game-changing perimeter defenders the team believes Bronny can become, is encouraging his rookie to ramp it up and play even more aggressively.

“We want him pressuring the ball,” Redick told ESPN on the Lakers-Rockets broadcast. “I told him yesterday, I said, ‘If you get blown by, if you have 10 fouls, that’s on me. I want you up pressuring the ball.’ ”

By all accounts, Bronny is a levelheaded and coachable rookie who has responded well to guidance and constructive criticism. Redick has often referred to Bronny as “test case No. 1” for the Lakers’ new development program.

But considering that Redick joined the franchise a few days before the draft and a couple of weeks before summer league, the Lakers are still ironing out the kinks of their developmental transition. Johnson said he is still learning Redick’s terminology, which differs from that of his predecessor, Darvin Ham.

The Lakers’ summer-league team has mightily struggled, with far more finishers than connectors or initiators offensively. Wednesday’s one-point win was the Lakers’ first in six games and came against a Hawks summer-league team missing four starters, including No. 1 overall pick Zaccharie Risacher. All of those factors have played into Bronny’s struggles, to some extent.

The Bronny detractors are currently leading on the scoreboard, but that doesn’t mean it will stay that way. Perhaps Wednesday’s performance is a step in the right direction. Maybe he will figure things out within the next season or two. Summer-league performances often don’t predict NBA success and failure. It’s far too early to make a proclamation regarding Bronny’s career or potential, especially when factoring in his age and the cardiac arrest he suffered less than a year ago.

The Lakers are still determining their plan for Bronny next season, according to team sources. He is expected to play part of the season in the G League with the South Bay Lakers, though how much time he spends there will be decided by the context of the Lakers’ season and how Bronny continues to develop. He’s willing to play in the G League as much as the Lakers want.

“I’m just looking forward to any basketball I play, no matter what level I’m playing at,” James said last week when asked about the prospect of playing in the G League.

Bronny’s development appears likely to be a long process that will require steely patience. The Lakers are unwavering in their belief and willing to wait it out. In the meantime, their main focus is getting Bronny as many NBA-caliber reps as possible and reestablishing his confidence after a difficult year.

“He’s going to have a long career,” Johnson said. “This is just the beginning. … We’ve got a long way to go.”

In contrast to Bronny, the NBA transition for Lakers first-round pick Dalton Knecht has been much smoother.

The 23-year-old wing has been the Lakers’ best player in summer league, which was anticipated — he has the highest expectations on the roster as the No. 17 pick — but far from a given. Knecht slipping to the Lakers already seems like a mistake for several teams. He showed notable progress game to game before sitting out the Lakers’ win over Atlanta on Wednesday.

Knecht’s offensive skill is as NBA-ready as advertised. He’s scored in double figures in all five games he’s played and dropped 19 or more points in three straight games. His jumper hasn’t fallen as much as he or the Lakers want, but he’s fared reasonably well scaling up to a higher-usage role and playing with the ball in his hands more on a summer roster bereft of ballhandling and playmaking. Knecht has displayed the ability to run pick-and-rolls and find rollers, cutters and shooters on the opposite side.

Nonetheless, Knecht is at his best moving off the ball, flying off screens and dribble handoffs or flaring out for corner 3s. When he’s able to get past a defender with his quick and effective first step, he uses his athleticism and physicality to finish at the rim and draw shooting fouls. He’s averaging 5.2 free-throw attempts per game, which is becoming a reliable source of offense for him.

Redick, one of the best shooters off screens in the NBA during his playing days, has side conversations with Knecht daily. The new Lakers coach often imparts wisdom to Knecht regarding how to create space with his body against defenders, how to navigate screens and how to operate within space.

The Lakers are trying to strike the proper balance with Knecht, who will play primarily without the ball in his hands on the main roster.

“I think right now he’s on the ball a lot, which we need him to for his team,” Johnson said. “But we’re trying to get him to run off screens, which he would do in the NBA. So if we can get him a little more off-ball actions, double aways or whatever, that will kind of translate to the next level for him.”

Through five games, Knecht is averaging 17.6 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.4 steals. His shooting splits are 34.9 percent on field goals, 34.4 percent on 3s and 73.1 percent on free throws, translating to a 46.6 true shooting percentage (well below the league average in an NBA context).

The sharpshooter is unfazed, though. He’s pushed through his slump and continued believing in his shot.

“No matter what, I’m just going to let it fly,” Knecht said this week.

At this point, the only concern with Knecht is if his poor defense (so far) will limit his role, at least temporarily. Opposing ballhandlers have often blown by him with ease. He’s been pushed around in the paint when fighting on the glass. For whatever reason, his athleticism, force and physicality show up significantly more on the offensive side than on the other end. That isn’t a dealbreaker in summer league, but it could be in the NBA, depending on how often and how successfully teams target him in pick-and-rolls, off-ball screens and isolations.

“Trying to get the defense better, just being more physical, using his body, seeing what he can do,” Johnson said. “I think he still has to learn to do that by running through screens and coming off screens and all that stuff.”

Barring a notable trade and/or signing, Knecht projects to be in the top nine of the Lakers rotation next season. That could be his floor, especially if he improves defensively. He has a chance to grow into being a devastating off-ball weapon around LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

(Top photo of Bronny James: Candice Ward / Getty Images)