The Los Angeles Lakers played Bronny James a season-high in minutes as they dominated the Washington Wizards on Monday night, and his shooting woes aren’t his fault. The 21-year-old appeared in his fifth game in six days. He stunningly played four days in a row from Wednesday to Saturday. Bronny was helping South Bay lock up the best record in the G League and was needed in the Lakers' rotation. It was simply too much.
NBA players complain about five games in seven nights, and LeBron’s son didn’t even get that. He had a monster night to close out his four games in four days. The Lakers needed another ball-handler with Luka Doncic suspended on Monday night. It made sense to give him a real shot in the rotation, but it was always going to end poorly.
Head coach JJ Redick has praised Bronny in recent days. The youngster earned this opportunity, but the Lakers didn’t put him in a position to succeed. It resulted in an off night that everyone would like to forget.
Lakers deserve all the blame for Bronny James struggles
The 6’2 guard finished with six points, one rebound, one assist, and one steal in 25 minutes of action. He made just two of his ten field goal attempts and missed all five of his 3-point tries. Bronny also had two turnovers in a night to forget.
The silver lining was the 21-year-old taking five 3-pointers. He has to make shots to stick in the nightly rotation, so it was good to see him firing away. Bronny will start making them. LeBron made sure fans knew his son can shoot, and everyone will continue to watch his percentages climb.
This is just the second time Bronny played more than 20 minutes in an NBA game this season. He has just six appearances of ten-plus minutes. Playing in three straight NBA games is an accomplishment. James keeps getting better, and fans should be excited about his future. It will take some time to reach his ceiling, but there has already been steady growth.
Everybody must calm down. Bronny has clearly improved his jumper. He has been showcasing the gains in the G League and making sure South Bay is the top team. Five games in six nights sapped the 21-year-old's lift and made his best shot of the season a dud.
This was far from the norm. The 6’2 guard played 25 minutes against the Spurs in a blowout loss right after the trade deadline. James got 17 more seconds on Monday night, and the Lakers won. It was good to see the youngster firing away, but sadly, there was not much else to cheer about for Bronny.
Los Angeles Lakers fans love Bronny James. They are always cheering for him to get on the floor and play real minutes. It happened against the Wizards. The 21-year-old’s dud is the Lakers' fault. Nobody can play that much in such a short window.
Bronny needs some rest to fully showcase his improvements. If he keeps dominating the G League, another NBA shot will come quickly. Lakers supporters hope the youngster takes full advantage, but all they can do is stay tuned to find out.