Bronny James got real rotational minutes for the first time this season in the Los Angeles Lakers’ loss to the Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday night. Bronny played 15 minutes, some of them alongside LeBron James, but struggled to find his footing.
He finished with zero points on 0-for-5 from the field, had three rebounds, an assist and a block, but also turned the ball over three times.
It would have been difficult to expect fireworks from Bronny when this is the first time he’s seen real minutes at the NBA level. He has shown significant strides in the G League over the last month, but it’s clear that more work needs to be done before he can be with the Lakers on a regular basis.
LeBron took some time to evaluate Bronny’s performance against the 76ers and where he’s at in his development process, via Spectrum SportsNet:
“I thought early on, he just played. I think he played well early on. Was able to get behind the defense on one and find Jaxson for a dunk that was good. Obviously missed some shots but it’s just about him getting more and more comfortable. Obviously was his first extensive minutes with us. We had that first game where it was just a moment, and it was a great moment, but tonight was his first opportunity to be with the big club. He’s gonna continue to use that to get better and better, just like his first time he played with the G League. The more and more opportunities you get, hopefully he does get more opportunities with us, that’s obviously out of his hands, but what he can control is how he works on his game to get better and better which we’ve seen him do since the moment he entered that Minnesota game to today.”
Bronny has already shown at the G League level that with time and consistent minutes, he can grow as a player quickly. That’s exactly what the G League and the Lakers development program is for.
At some point, he’ll need to be able to transfer that growth to the NBA level, but it’s going to take more than one game for the to happen.
It will be interesting to see when Bronny gets his next real opportunity with the Lakers and if he can make the most of it.
Bronny James felt more prepared vs. 76ers
While the results weren’t pretty, a small win is that Bronny James felt more prepared for this outing than he did for the first game of the NBA season. Eventually, with that comfort, will come results.
Have you subscribed to our YouTube channel? It’s the best way to watch player interviews, exclusive coverage from events, participate in live shows, and more!