How Did the Son of a Future Hall of Famer Do in His First Two Games of the Preseason

The Los Angeles Lakers opened up their preseason with two losses. Their first loss came at the hands of the Phoenix Suns 103-81, and once again last night against the Warriors 111-103. Although it is preseason and the Lakers did not suit up their star players, Luka Dončić and LeBron James, in both games, the preseason is a time where players are fighting for roster spots and are proving why they should be on an active NBA roster. One of these players is LeBron’s son, Bronny James, who has already played in two preseason games after finishing his rookie year last year, primarily in the G League. Although there are questions about whether Bronny should play another season in the G-League, Bronny can definitely play consistent minutes in the NBA. However, there are improvements he needs to make in his game, as shown in the two preseason games.

In his first game against the Suns, Bronny finished with eight points, making only one out of his 12 attempts from the field and one out of his eight attempts from three. He went five for six from the line, showcasing his ability to make free throws even on an off-shooting night from the field. Bronny took good shots, and they were good looks, but he just was not able to hit, and it was one of those days for the 55th pick from USC. In his second game, against the Warriors, he finished with five points, and his main struggle was maintaining possession of the ball, as he had five turnovers. Bronny was letting the defense speed him up with the ball, and he was dribbling into traps, which forced these turnovers.

There were some positives to take away from these games. Bronny has always been a solid defender, constantly pressuring his man and making him work. He is taking open and good shots, but is struggling to make them, which is a common occurrence for shooters who are having an off game. The only thing keeping Bronny off the floor is his ability to handle the ball in tight situations, as he tends to get sped up into a trap, or drive to the lane and get the ball stripped by a help defender. If Bronny can correct these mistakes and learn from them, he will be a player to watch for the Lakers, not just in the rest of the preseason games, but also as a player who can receive minutes coming into his second NBA season.