Bronny James got a big opportunity to showcase his talents in the second preseason game for the Los Angeles Lakers. With Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, or Collin Sexton unavailable, Bronny got the nod as the Lakers' starting point guard for the evening. It was not his best performance.
James struggled in his 21 minutes on the floor during the Lakers' 124-98 loss to the Golden State Warriors. Bronny finished with four points and five assists, but he also racked up four fouls and three turnovers. The young guard looked overmatched with the point duties. He had a hard time maintaining control of the offense and guarding his matchup consistently.
Granted, that should have been expected to some degree. The Warriors rolled out several of their top guys for action while the Lakers largely gave their own players of that caliber the night off. There can be comfort found in that.
Lakers fans should also remember that James will be gifted the opportunity to play off a superior offensive engine in either Doncic or Reaves. JJ Redick noted his plans to stagger his star guards earlier this offseason. That should give Bronny what he needs when he does see the court.
Bronny James' offensive functionality skyrockets beside Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves
Here is a groundbreaking thought: stars make the lives of their role players easier. Crazy, right?
In all seriousness, that is the general idea here, plus some added nuance. James is one of the Lakers players who stands to benefit most from sharing the floor with Doncic or Reaves.
Bronny often found himself operating as a lead decision-maker and initiator against the Warriors. While James does have the ability to make plays for himself and the offense, it stands out better alongside a star who is commanding real defensive attention. Likewise, it shows up more positively when the Lakers guard is jumping in as a supportive playmaker instead of the primary one.
Realistically, James is not an every night rotation player for this group in Los Angeles. Bronny projects as an injury fill-in for the backcourt. The hope would still be that he gets to spend time with another more polished offensive guard in those instances.
Bronny James' defense can pop more with a decreased offensive load
On the other end of things, James should have more opportunity to use his athleticism and strength on defense when the offensive burden is lessened for him. If Doncic or Reaves are the primary engines on the attack, that positions Bronny to showcase his main value on the other end.
James had a hard time staying in front of Brandin Podziemski on Tuesday against the Warriors. One would hope for more focused effort when alleviating Bronny of the added offensive responsibility. Doncic and Reaves offer that opportunity.
Growing pains are natural. James will inevitably have his fair share throughout the 2026-27 campaign. Both his defense and offense are poised to be much more formidable when the right group of players is around him, though, rather than a patched together preseason unit.
Add us as a preferred source on Google