Bronny James has had a few opportunities to show what he is made of through the preseason. With the team set to start the regular season on October 17th, it’s safe to say James Jr. won’t be seeing much action. The only shot of him getting a good chunk of minutes is if the Lakers are winning by 20+ or losing by a very large margin.
Watching him play makes it clear that LeBron’s son has one major flaw. His offensive awareness just isn’t clicking right now. There are moments where he just seems lost as his teammates move around him. His rhythm is off, and he is slow to make any moves.
It is exciting to see Bronny and LeBron together on the court, but Bronny isn’t ready for the NBA. Many people believe that he just needs time, but that doesn’t exist in the league. Many players who can’t handle their rookie season end up sitting on benches for a while before moving overseas.
There is a good chance James Jr. just needed some time to develop and grow at college. Leaving USC before gaining any sort of traction on the team was a mistake. Also, he recently suffered a major medical event. There should have been no pressure placed on him to sprint to the league immediately. He should have taken some time with USC to grow into the player he could be.
Bronny hasn’t figured out how to play on this roster yet. It’s understandable, as he hasn’t had much playing time, but he isn’t showing many positive signs. One of the clearest forms of struggle is his lack of recognizing when to pass. In multiple games, he would force a shot or go in for a crazy layup when a teammate was wide open. Even early in the shot clock, James Jr. would huck up the shot. He needs to grow his offensive awareness.
Where does he go from here?
The easy answer to this question is the G League. James Jr. is most likely going to spend the majority of his rookie season with the South Bay Lakers. This could be a great thing for the rookie. Maybe spending some time in a learning environment could push him towards growth. However, one can most likely expect him to spend more than his rookie season on this team.
Yes, James Jr. isn’t looking good, and he is being heavily criticized for it, but he could find his place while in the G League. Bronny most likely won’t be a star, but he still has the chance to become a technical player. If he can learn how to run an offense, dish out decent assists, and play bulldog defense, he could be a really good role player.
Only time will tell where Bronny James goes from here. Hopefully, his G League season will go well, and he can prove that he’s got a spark. Throwing him into the NBA unprepared almost seems like some cruel and unusual punishment. It’s understandable that he wanted to play with his dad, and he most likely felt pressured to, but hopefully, this hasn’t destroyed his future in the league.
Article originally written by Elizabeth Della Piana
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