The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Milwaukee Bucks 123-112 with Bronny James struggling to finish off the blowout victory. He entered with 4:23 left in the fourth quarter, and the Lakers were up by 24 points. Head coach JJ Redick didn’t want to go to the deep reserves that early, but Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, and Collin Sexton all suffered injuries in the second half. That meant fans got to see Bronny, and he quickly failed his latest chance.
The Bucks outscored the Lakers 22-9 to close the game. The Lakers' offense didn’t have any flow, and Bronny even got called for an eight-second violation for not getting the ball over the midcourt line. The defense was abysmal, and the Lakers scored at a 98.6 points-per-game pace only thanks to James making four late free throws as Milwaukee tried to extend the contest.
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.
Lakers' offense stagnated with Bronny James running the show
The purple and gold made one basket in the final 4:23 of the win over the Bucks. Jaden Hardy hit a 3-pointer off a pass from Adou Thiero on a possession where James never touched the ball.
Bronny was the point guard. He replaced Luka Doncic and was the primary creator. The ball simply wasn’t moving. It even forced three-time NBA champion turned broadcaster Danny Green to say this late in the fourth quarter.
“These are some tough shots. You want to get a little more ball movement, touch the paint, get a swing-swing to get an uncontested look.”
The Lakers couldn’t score because nobody was creating easy shots. They weren’t forcing the Bucks defense to rotate. It was just one pass and a shot from the Lakers. Bronny needs to get things rolling and move the ball if he is going to have success as an NBA point guard.
James finished with four points and two personal fouls in garbage time in Milwaukee. He missed his only field goal attempt and scored all four points at the charity stripe. The Lakers were outscored by 13 points with him on the floor, which continued a season-long trend.
Bronny James point guard experiment looks destined to fail
The Lakers are 11-2, and Bronny has played just 17 NBA minutes after Wednesday’s win. He got a shot as the backup point guard in the preseason, but failed the audition after just three games. Coach Redick gave Jaden Hardy and Chris Manon shots to play that role with Collin Sexton out, despite knowing neither was a true point guard.
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. They nearly blew a 14-point edge in the final two minutes against the Raptors. Things got so bad that Redick was forced to put his starters back on the floor for the final 45 seconds just to secure the victory.
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.
The Lakers demoted Bronny to work on his offensive game, but even the Coachella Valley squad had a 98.1 offensive rating with James as the lead creator. That would be the worst mark in the league.
The 22-year-old isn’t a point guard. He never has been, even dating back to his high school days. That leaves the Lakers with a hole in their roster to fill and a difficult decision to make on Bronny.
Lakers need to find another trusted shot creator
LA has Doncic, Reaves, and Sexton, but nowhere to turn after that. It has already been a problem when one of the three has missed time. Sexton was out for the season opener. Austin Reaves missed Monday's game, and Luka has already sat out two games. They will all miss time, and the Lakers don’t have anywhere else to turn.
Rob Pelinka needs to find another shot creator. The Lakers are 11-2 and clearly title contenders. They have the best record in the NBA with over 15 percent of the regular season in the books. This is a roster with nine new players. They are still figuring out how to play together. Things should only improve, which should give the front office even more reason to plug the holes.
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.
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.
Bronny James isn’t a point guard. The sooner the Los Angeles Lakers figure that out, the better. They keep giving him shots to fill this role, but it's not happening. Their best bet is making him a spot-up shooter. The Lakers need a point guard and shot creator, but Bronny isn’t the answer.
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