More than three weeks into his third NBA season with the Los Angeles Lakers, young guard Bronny James is still struggling to get playing time on a consistent basis, and while he saw a season-high four minutes in the team’s latest win over the Milwaukee Bucks, once stars Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves went down with injuries, his performance doesn’t necessarily change the outlook on his future playing in the Purple and Gold.
James has played in about 17 total minutes this season for the Lakers, and in that time, he’s recorded eight points, a block, six fouls, and two turnovers. The game against the Bucks could have been a huge opportunity for the 22-year-old to prove his value in Los Angeles, but in yet another limited appearance, it doesn’t look like James showed he can be a consistent contributor on a nightly basis for the Lakers.
Now, after his latest disappointing showing, the pressure is growing on the team to make a decision on James. He’s been sitting on the bench, and if the Lakers want to capitalize on their incredible start to the season, perhaps moving on from the young guard and bringing in someone else who can add more to the roster might be in the franchise’s best interest.
Bronny James Didn’t Show Much In Latest Game
Writing after another disappointing James performance for the Lakers, Tyler Watts believes the verdict is finally in on the 55th pick of the 2024 NBA Draft, and thinks the team should now seriously consider cutting ties with the point guard who has yet to prove he can be the type of player who impacts winning in Los Angeles.
“The Lakers want Bronny to be a point guard, but he keeps failing every audition. James even struggled to run the offense in the G League opener. The 22-year-old is fighting for his place on the roster, and Wednesday’s win over the Bucks didn’t do Bronny any favors,” he wrote. “That leaves the Lakers with a hole in their roster to fill and a difficult decision to make on Bronny.”
James saw four minutes in the Lakers’ win in Milwaukee, putting up four points and finishing with a -13 rating while on the court. Los Angeles nearly gave up a huge lead with him on the floor, and James now has a -40 in his playing time this season, a statistic that all but proves he isn’t an NBA-caliber player at this point, or at least one whom the Lakers can comfortably play in garbage time.
“James has only played in garbage time during the regular season, but the Lakers have been outscored by 40 points with him on the floor,” Watts added. “The Lakers have an 81.1 offensive rating with James on the floor. Their net rating is negative 85.6, which seems impossible. LA plays no defense and just fires up shots. It is a recipe for disaster, even with a massive lead already in hand.”
James got minutes with all three of the Lakers’ guards, Doncic, Reaves, and Collin Sexton, all out with different injuries. The game against the Bucks was nearly decided, but when he was on the court, the Eastern Conference’s worst team nearly came back against a Los Angeles team with the best record in the NBA.
Part of that was due to James. Now, the Lakers are on the clock to make a decision on LeBron James‘ son’s future playing in the Purple and Gold.
Lakers Urged To Cut Ties With Failed Young Guard
After his performance against Milwaukee, Watts believes it’s finally time for the Lakers to cut ties with James. He’s had several opportunities to prove himself this season, but none of them have shown that he’s the type of end-of-the-bench player Los Angeles needs to remain a title contender in the Western Conference.
“The Lakers have a tough decision to make on Bronny. They have a $2.4 million team option on his contract for next season. If James can’t help them win, it is time to move on. Doncic and Reaves are in their primes, and every roster spot matters. James must improve, or it is time to let him go,” he wrote.
“Bronny keeps failing every opportunity he receives. The offense scored one basket in over four minutes with him running the show. It was garbage time, but James needs to shine in those moments to have any shot at playing with the game in doubt. He struggled, and the offense was worse. That isn’t giving Redick any faith to play him.”
The Lakers were recently proposed to waive James and replace him with Bruce Brown, a veteran who could likely offer more than what the young guard is bringing to the table right now.
But even outside of his performances this season and specifically against the Bucks, this isn’t the first time he’s been expected to be on the chopping block.
After the Lakers waived Dalton Knecht and kept James for the final roster spot, even Watts thought that was a bad decision.
“I don’t think he’s played well in the four preseason games, but he’s had good practices.”
James has 11 points and 12 turnovers in four preseason games so far.
Redick now feels comfortable speaking honestly
“Bronny is in his third NBA season. His jumper took a significant step forward last year, but the preseason has everyone wondering if that was a fluke. James isn’t a point guard. If he’s not making shots, the Lakers need to move on from Bronny,” he previously wrote. “It is now or never for Bronny to earn a rotation spot, and his disastrous preseason gave the Lakers the answer. It is time to move on.”
If the pressure on James wasn’t high enough already, it’s reached a boiling point. The Lakers might not make a decision just yet until they find out the full scope of the injuries to Doncic, Reaves, and Sexton, but that doesn’t change where the young guard stands in the rotation.
James has been given the opportunities to prove himself, but hasn’t shown enough on an NBA floor. His averages of 1.3 points in 2.8 minutes in six games could easily be replaced, so it’s now fair to say James is firmly on the chopping block for the Lakers, if that wasn’t clear already.
Lakers Urged To Cut Ties With Bronny James After Failed Last Chance