Seeing a lot of Bronny James content out there? Congratulations. A new Los Angeles Lakers season is here.
The Lakers are getting ready for their preseason finale Friday against the conference rival Denver Nuggets and, like the last four games, there will be a lot of eyes on James, especially after he was held scorless in L.A.’s double digit loss to the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday.
Entering his third season, James has already come a long way since being drafted near the bottom of the 2024 NBA Draft. Last spring, he played meaningful playoff minutes alongside his legendary father, especially in the Lakers’ first round series victory over the Houston Rockets. So, what’s in store for the young guard this season?
Lakers Guard Gets New Vote of Confidence as Season Ramps Up
All the James chatter out there would make a casual observer believe that the 22-year-old is only covered in a negative light. For one, he is the most-discussed second round pick in NBA history. Two, he is the son of the league’s all-time leading scorer who also happens to be the most scrutinized athlete … maybe ever. James will have his detractors no matter what, but one league source believes James is showing that he is on his way carving out a legitimate NBA career.
“Bronny was nowhere near NBA-ready when the Lakers drafted him No. 55 in 2024 (coming off a serious health scare and being handed a three-year contract), but NBA talent evaluators have given him approving nods for how much he has developed in the past two seasons,” wrote NBC Sports NBA insider Kurt Kelin. “He has clearly put in the work. As one league source told NBC Sports at Summer League, ‘He was two years away from being two years away when they drafted him, but now he’s looking almost like an NBA player. He might stick.’”
James is coming off a zero-point outing, but it is darn-easy to overreact to preseason, both when your favorite player scores 25 points on near-perfect efficiency and when he shoots 3-for-15 from the floor in 16 minutes of action.
Let’s wait until a few months of the regular season go by before we submit our assessment of James in Year 3.
Will James Bounce Back in Preseason Finale?
The Lakers dropped to 2-2 after Tuesday’s loss to the Warriors, though they were handling Golden State in the first half, when many of the regulars were in the game, including star big man Walker Kessler, who made his presence felt in his Lakers preseason debut.
The Lakers may have lost. Kessler, the marquee offseason acquisition, may have thoroughly impressed in his one half of basketball. Austin Reaves may have dropped 28 points and looked every bit unstoppable as one could be in a preseason game.
But all most folks were pressed about was what James did, or lack thereof.
Yes, not scoring in 11 minutes of action is bad, even if it’s a preseason game. Yes, recording more turnovers than assists is bad, even if it’s preseason. And yes, starting a season with a rather critical assessment from the head coach is bad.
But the Lakers have yet to play the first of 82 games.
Lakers’ Bronny James Gets Telling Quote on NBA Future After 0-Point Performance