Bronny James had his best performance to date Lakers first win of the summer tournament, defeating Atlanta Hawks 87-86. James scored 12 points, making 5 of 11 shots from the field and 2 of 5 three-point shots.
James has struggled to perform in the Lakers’ first three games of summer league, averaging 4.3 points and shooting 22.6 percent from the field, while failing to make 15 of his 3-pointers.
James was selected as the 55th pick by the Los Angeles Lakers. 2024 NBA Draftmade headlines when he joined his father, basketball legend LeBron Jameson the court. Bronny has faced tremendous pressure to live up to his father’s legacy. Many basketball fans have voiced their belief that Bronny is not ready to play National Basketball Association (NBA)But his performance against the Hawks was a step towards proving his doubters wrong.
Skip Bayless Praise Bronny’s performance Undisputedsaid “he looked like he belonged there.”
“I tweeted at halftime that I finally saw a basketball player. He looked like he belonged there and he felt comfortable with himself. The first four games, I wasn’t sure about that,” Bayless said.
Bayless has been vocal about the importance of Bronny making a name for himself without the constant reminder that he’s LeBron James’ son. And Bayless believes he did that last night.
“[Bronny] agreed to be recorded for ESPN. That shows me he’s comfortable enough to go out and be Bronny, not LeBron James Jr., because that’s what’s haunting him. Forget them, he’s just Bronny,” Bayless said. “We get to hear him on the bench, hear him in meetings, hear him call out some defensive strategies on the floor. He’s more relaxed, more open. … Every time I read a quote from any of his teammates, they all say they love being around him because he’s so fun, and the fun started to spill over into the way he played basketball last night.”
Bayless believes Bronny just needs more playing time to reach his full potential.
“In the fourth quarter last night, he only played a total of five minutes and 26 seconds. That’s wrong. That’s ridiculous to me. And I don’t understand what he’s saying. He just needs to practice, needs to dribble and own the ball and play basketball,” Bayless said.
Co-host of Undisputed Paul Pierce agreed with Bayless, adding that Bronny was starting to play with confidence.
“Usually when you’re down, you’re a little hesitant, and one thing I’ve said is you have to be confident. I don’t care if you miss the next hundred shots, just take them,” Pierce said. “You can’t avoid what’s going on, the media attention, it’s going to happen. Just go out there and play with confidence, because that’s what summer league is all about.”
Pierce believes that sometimes just one shot can help a basketball player get out of a slump. Now that he has seen what Bronny is capable of, he is eager to see what else Bronny can do.
“I’ve had nights where I couldn’t throw a rock in the ocean, then I just shot a free throw and I just saw the ball go in once, and that can help you get going. Hopefully, that’s something he can develop,” Pierce said. “I’d like to see a little more rebounding, maybe making some plays and getting some assists.”
Keyshawn Johnson agree and predict that his performance will continue to improve.
“It was encouraging to see. I’m a fan. I’m glad I got to see what I want to see. I want to see a basketball player. Make me believe that you can actually play. And that happened to me yesterday,” Johnson said.
Colin the Cowboy had a different stance on Bronny’s performance. “Herd,” He said Bronny shouldn’t be expected to have a starting spot in the NBA, but he’s a G League player with the ability to be a defensive player.
“For the record, Bronny James struggled offensively in summer league. But the No. 2 pick in the draft, on Tuesday, went 0-for-15 from the floor, Alex Sarrwith some air balloons,” Herd said.
“Let’s take the player selected right before Bronny and right after. 54th pick, Anton Watsonis on the Celtics. He had a good summer season. 10 points, five rebounds. … But he’s going to be a G Leaguer. The player was drafted right after [Bronny] injured, so let’s go to pick 57, Ulrich Chomchewho averages four points a game. He’s considered very raw, as a G Leaguer. So Bronny James … averages about four or five points a game. And sells a bunch of merchandise. Is that the end of the world?”
Cowherd believes everyone around Bronny is in the same boat: They’re not basketball kids, they’re G League players. Bronny’s biggest problem isn’t his shooting ability, it’s that he’s not a pure point guard.
“The bigger issue for him is that he’s a 6’1 ½ guy and obviously not a pure point guard. It’s completely limiting his career. To me, he’s best as a mid-to-late rotation guard. That’s it,” Herd said. “He’s 6’1 ½ and the Lakers don’t trust him to bring the ball up the court. Maybe they will eventually. But at some point, you have to be a point guard at 6’1 ½. Maybe a point guard defensively, but you have to be a point guard.”
“It’s like the critics are insisting that the Lakers pick him as a lottery pick and ask him to start at point guard. He’s got the jumper, he’s got the height, he’s quick, he’s athletic, he’ll be a defensive player,” Cowherd said.
Cowherd wasn’t surprised by Bronny’s performance — he was playing exactly as expected.
“In this draft, he was basically what we were told he was. Limited offensively, good defensive player, a project. … If he can guard the point guard on a basketball team that has points at the 2, 3, 4 and 5 positions, he has a chance to be a reserve, a project, a G Leaguer — maybe, at some point, a rotational NBA player.”
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Bronny James
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