The Los Angeles Lakers opened the preseason with a dreadful 103-81 loss to the Phoenix Suns, where Bronny James was abysmal. He finished with eight points, five rebounds, and two assists in 24 minutes of action. Those numbers don’t sound bad until fans dive a bit deeper. The 20-year-old shot one of 12 from the field and missed several defensive assignments. It was a rough night that led to LA losing his minutes by 12 points.
There were so many concerning parts of this game that it is difficult to know where to begin. Bronny had two assists and two turnovers. The entire team was not moving the ball as they finished with 22 turnovers to just ten dimes. It was a dreadful offensive night without Luka Doncic and LeBron James, and fans certainly didn’t get their wish of seeing positive developments from Bronny.
The 6’2 guard looked like a G League player getting NBA minutes. He was so focused on trying to get his that the entire team stagnated. The social media accounts were having a field day as Bronny struggled. The door is wide open, but the second-round draft pick may have just blown his opportunity.
Bronny James will be back in the G League this season
The Lakers were without Luka, LeBron, Marcus Smart, and Gabe Vincent on Friday night in Palm Desert. That is a ton of ball-handling and playmaking. Bronny got a shot at being the backup point guard behind Austin Reaves and played the second-most minutes in the preseason opener.
The only positive takeaway is that he took eight 3-pointers. James ruined it by only making one, but it was good to see the 20-year-old firing away from deep.
Bronny’s defense may have been most concerning because that is his path to getting on the floor this season. The 20-year-old missed rotations and lost his man on several occasions. Not what anyone wanted to see from a reserve getting an opportunity.
Bronny appeared in just 27 NBA games as a rookie for a total of 181 minutes. He was limited to mop-up duty, but produced strong numbers for the South Bay Lakers. He averaged 21.9 points, 5.3 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 1.9 steals in 34.3 minutes per game over 11 G League contests. He can dominate at that level, but has yet to prove he can handle even a limited bench role in the NBA.
Friday’s preseason opener did him no favors. Bronny will be back in the developmental league when the season begins and will need to keep putting up monster numbers to earn JJ Redick and the Lakers coaching staff’s trust. He certainly did not do it against the Suns.
This is a crucial year for Bronny James. LeBron’s future beyond this season is uncertain, and the Los Angeles Lakers need the younger James to become a capable contributor. The first signs in his second season were not strong, and it may already be too late. James is likely back in the G League based on this nightmare performance alone.
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