The Los Angeles Lakers lost to the Phoenix Suns in their second preseason game, but the telltale signs are encouraging. The Purple and Gold’s first and second units were up by double-digits most of the time until the third team allowed the Suns to come back and ultimately put the game away.
In the midst of all the positives, though, Bronny James appears to be struggling big-time. This did not escape the eyes of Kwame Brown , a former Laker who criticized the franchise’s decision to take the former USC Trojan as the 55th pick of the 2024 Draft. This time, however, the 2001 first-overall pick hit two birds with one stone by dissing LeBron James as well.
“Bronny’s performance last night? It was horrendous, like, I just don’t understand. He has a father who’s arguably the best player to play the game, but it shows he just got by on his athleticism because his son doesn't know the basic principles," Brown said .
It’s hilarious how Kwame can give a compliment and destroy a person at the same time. However, Bronny’s performances were not uplifting at all. He played 13 minutes against the Suns, missing all seven of his shots, but adding two rebounds and four turnovers.
Not the first rodeo
This is not the first time the former NBA big man eviscerated Bronny. James Jr. is listed at around 6’2, but as Brown noted, he doesn’t know how to bring the ball up against legit NBA defenders.
“At his size, he’s the only guy that I’ve seen who could play that spot at the two. If he doesn’t learn how to bring the ball up, he’s going to be a poor man’s Juan Dixon. I think he’ll bounce around. His daddy has enough power with Klutch Sports to keep him in the league, but after that, if he doesn’t learn how to play point, he’s gonna fizzle out,” opined the former Wizards and Lakers center.
In the same YouTube clip, Kwame said he couldn’t see why people were OK with the Lakers picking Bronny at 55 like it was nothing. He brought out DJ Burns, the NC State forward who dominated Duke with 29 points in their Elite Eight matchup. Burns, Brown reasoned, could have been an excellent project selection for the Purple and Gold but chose Bronny instead.
In addition, Brown also had some harsh words for The King. He criticized LeBron for not developing a mid-range and post-game and for playing ‘the same way’ since Day 1.
"He's a cutter, slasher, and he's developed a bit of the three, but the problem is, when he plays teams who have real solid principles, he has trouble. And so the old-school players wouldn't have any trouble with LeBron because, at 39, he should have developed a mid-range and a post-game, and he still hasn't yet," one of the biggest busts in NBA history once said .
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JJ Redick is still high on Bronny
While it’s undeniable that Bronny’s selection is directly related to his father’s power and presence, Lakers head coach JJ Redick remains high on him. He loves the 19-year-old’s defensive potential and encouraged him to be a “pest” on that side of the ball. Bronny obviously won’t be playing ahead of Gabe Vincent and Max Christie, so Redick plans to mold him via the G-League route.
“I think Bronny is a young guy, and I’m very high on him as a basketball player… He’s kinda like the first player that we could take mold and help develop. And so, we are gonna look at the G-League as a tool in our player development system,” the rookie head coach said .
Bronny won’t be an All-Star anytime soon, but it’s also unwise to write him off just yet. The kid almost stopped playing basketball a year ago because of a heart issue and fought through it. This rough patch will just be one of the challenges he’ll be up against.
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