The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Indiana Pacers with four players out injured. It forced head coach JJ Redick to turn to Bronny James for rotation minutes, and the young guard's refusal to fire away when open proved why he struggles to get minutes. The Lakers have Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, and LeBron James to handle the ball and run the show. They need shooters around the three stars, and Bronny simply doesn’t provide floor spacing.
Bronny finished with four points, one rebound, one assist, two steals, and one block in 13 minutes of action. It was one of his best games with the Lakers, but the fit issues showed. The 21-year-old missed his only 3-point attempt and was taken off the floor late as the Pacers were making a comeback.
James is only in his second year in the NBA. He is not a finished product, but the 6’2 guard doesn’t fit on this roster. Fans know the problem well. Luka is the point guard and lead creator. AR and LeBron will handle those duties in the second unit. That means Bronny has to play off the ball and knock down open shots. That simply isn’t happening.
Bronny James’ lack of shooting prevents him from playing for the Lakers
Bronny has made 33.8 percent of his first 62 NBA 3-point attempts. In the G League, he is shooting 34.0 percent over 215 tries. That is sadly a below-average shooter on a team that needs guys to knock down open looks.
The 6’2 guard is improving. Head coach JJ Redick gave him credit after the win over the Pacers for his improvement and confidence.
“He’s gotten significantly better. I know our staff has a lot of confidence in him. Felt like this was a game where he really needed him, his athleticism, his defense. He had two great defensive possessions in the first half.”
Redick continued by noting Bronny missed his only 3-pointer, but has been standing out whenever given the shot to play.
“I think the biggest thing with him is he’s got a lot of confidence right now. I know he didn’t make his three tonight, but he’s got a lot of confidence in his shot right now. He’s having a fantastic season with South Bay. He’s been arguably the best player for like the last three or four weeks in our stay-ready games every single time. He’s got a bounce to his step right now.”
Bronny keeps getting better, but he needs the shots to fall to get minutes for the Lakers. This is Luka’s team. He is playing like the MVP and pushing the team into title contention. Doncic will be leading the charge and running the show.
The young guard needs to make an impact off the ball and do little things. Coach Redick gave props to his defense. LeBron's son needs those little things to carve out a nightly role. The most important is shot making, which simply isn’t ready.
The Los Angeles Lakers clearly believe in Bronny James and are eager to help him continue his improvement. The shooting isn’t there yet, but the rest of his game is coming along. Fans should be excited. Bronny isn’t ready for a nightly role right now, but it could be coming. The youngster must keep making improvements. So far, so good.