Los Angeles Lakers rookie guard Bronny James has been using his microscope for most of his life.
James is no stranger to the spotlight, and with that comes the good, the bad, and the ugly. It’s safe to say that the start of his NBA career has been far from easy, and it’s come with its fair share of lows.
Although it is unfair to expect a late second-round pick to do great right out of the gate, many expected it to be better than it has been, including long-time analyst and former sports writer Skip Bayless.
In the six-minute video below, Bayless discusses various topics related to James, including how he has recently looked and what he expected of him when he first saw him on the scene in the 2022 McDonald’s All-American game.
It’s no secret that Bronny is far from an NBA player at the moment. Most of his playing time has come in garbage time, and even then, he does not take advantage of the opportunity. In six NBA games this season, he has averaged 0.7 points per game, 0.2 rebounds, and 0.3 assists while shooting 16.7 percent in 2.7 minutes of action.
His numbers in the G League aren’t any better. In two games this season, he has averaged 5.0 points per game, 2.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 3.0 turnovers., 1.0 steals and 1.0 blocks while shooting 21 percent from the field.
Bronny’s struggles are nothing new, especially for a late second-round draft pick, but when you’re the son of a famous and renowned basketball player, the criticism is just a little louder.
His struggles are evident, and they are an outlier among NBA-caliber prospects. Of the 60 players on two-way contracts who have played in the G League this season, only one averages fewer points per game than Bronny — 18-year-old Toronto Raptors center Ulrich Chomche, averaging 0.5 points less in 12 fewer minutes per game.
Although Bronny has shown some promise, more on defense than offense, we have yet to see a long spurt or a game of what many believe he can become.
The Lakers selected James with the No. 55 pick in the NBA 2024 Draft. His journey in the NBA is not off to the start he expected, and it may be a while before we see Bronny reach his full potential, whether that is with the Lakers or elsewhere.
