Many questioned the Los Angeles Lakers' decision to pick Bronny James in the 2024 NBA Draft. Now that Bronny is struggling to find his form in preseason play, he has been bombarded with criticism daily.
According to former Washington Wizards All-Star guard Gilbert Arenas, Bronny isn't the only rookie struggling in the preseason. He points out that even the Top five and ten picks are having a hard time adjusting to the game. But nobody is critiquing them because the media narrative is focused on the story that sells—Bronny.
"So nobody knows nothing about the Top 15 picks in the NBA Draft," said Arenas. "That is the problem here. That their focus on the 55th pick in the NBA Draft and everybody else, the Top 5 picks get to go through the league like nothing."
It's not just Bronny
Bronny has participated in all three of the Lakers' preseason games, logging a total of 36 minutes. So far, the 20-year-old USC product has managed just two points on 1-for-11 shooting, along with three rebounds, one assist, three blocks, and five turnovers.
LeBron Jr. is also a -40 in plus-minus after three games that he suited up in. That's the second-worst mark in the league, behind only Jon Konchar's -48. But as Gil pointed out, Bronny is not the only rookie who is performing poorly in the preseason.
"If there's no Bronny, the kid from the Wizards will be called a bust today. Because if you take Bronny out, he would be last in preseason. In theory, right now, the young kid over there is considered busting out right now. As a number two pick in the draft, he's busting out. You're at the bottom with LeBron James' son. You're ranked in preseason, first three games, 493. We expect the last couple of picks to be there, not you, sir…on a team where you could do whatever the fu** that you want," he added.
Related: Julius Erving believes no player is similar to him in the modern NBA: “I was a small forward, but I really played like a power forward”
Is Alex Sarr busting out?
Seven-foot Alexandre Sarr , a French native, was the No. 2 overall pick of this year's draft. Before the draft, the 19-year-old was compared to Giannis Antetokounmpo and Paul George acknowledged the comparison. To his credit, Sarr has put up decent stats in his first three preseason games: 11.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.7 blocks per game.
But what Gil was pointing out was his plus-minus, which at -40 is similar to Bronny. Per the NBA's glossary of stats , plus-minus is defined as "The point differential when a player or team is on the floor." It presumes that, "If a player is on the court when his team is outscoring its opponents, then he must be doing something to help his team succeed."
Gil has a valid point that the public eye is unfairly locked in on Bronny and every shortcoming from him is magnified. However, it's unfair to label Sarr a bust based solely on plus-minus stats from just three preseason games. The difference in scrutiny between him and LeBron's son, though, is clearly evident.
Related: "Avoid this media circus, avoid all the hoopla" - Chandler Parsons wants to see Bronny share the stage with Lebron on opening day
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