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LA Lakers rookie guard Bronny James, son of Lakers superstar forward LeBron James, played sparingly during his squad's first preseason victory on Thursday. Afterward, renowned LeBron critic Skip Bayless questioned Lakers rookie coach JJ Redick's rotation.
Bronny, the No. 55 pick in this year's draft, struggled offensively over his first two preseason outings against the Minnesota Timberwolves and Phoenix Suns. He tallied two points on 1-for-7 shooting (14.3%) across 29 minutes, racking up five turnovers. Meanwhile, LA dropped both contests.
During the Lakers' third preseason game, Thursday's 107-102 road victory over the Milwaukee Bucks, Bronny's role was reduced. He played only six minutes, going scoreless on 0-for-4 shooting.
Conversely, LA's 2024 No. 17 draft pick Dalton Knecht played 34 minutes off the bench, with several other youngsters receiving double-digit minutes.
After the contest, Bayless took to X/Twitter, pondering why Redick didn't afford Bronny more opportunities in the relatively meaningless exhibition matchup. The veteran analyst alluded to the rookie possibly being injured before seemingly beginning to question his NBA readiness. However, Bayless stopped before completing his tweet.
"Lakers backups just stormed back to win at Milwaukee with LeBron hyper-cheerleading, while Bronny never got in the game," Bayless said. "Maybe JJ decided to stick with the hot five. Maybe Bronny is banged up. Or maybe ..."
LA still has three more preseason outings to go, beginning with a matchup against the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday. So, Bronny James should receive more opportunities to break out of his shooting slump. However, at this point, he doesn't project to be a prominent factor in the Lakers' regular-season rotation.
JJ Redick "really happy" with Bronny James' training camp progress despite offensive struggles
While Bronny James has struggled to make his impact felt in preseason, according to JJ Redick, the rookie has made noticeable strides in training camp.
On Sunday, Redick noted that Bronny has improved steadily since August, highlighting his defensive prowess for a guard.
"He's had some really good days in August and September. He's had three really good days this week. We're really happy with his progress," Redick said. "The kid, he can do some things defensively at his size that are really unique and can, I think, turn into a really disruptive defender."
However, Redick added that Bronny's offensive game is still a work in progress.
"On the offensive end, he's still kind of figuring out who he is, and that's our job as a player development program just to build him up," Redick said. "But I like what I saw from Bronny."
Bronny's ability to knock down open shots will likely determine whether he sticks with the Lakers or spends extended time in the NBA G League. Regardless, his new coach appears to have his back.
