No one was under the illusion that Bronny James would get significant minutes of basketball with the Lakers. As much as his father loves him, winning a fifth NBA title is something King James cannot compromise for his eldest son’s development as a basketball player.
Fans expected the eldest child of the James household to head to the G League after his first couple of games with the Purple and Gold. While fans were mad over how the ticket prices went for his G League debut, it was a successful start for Bronny’s stint in the G League.
Bronny’s performance among lesser competition was what many expected, but it will make fans question his long-term prospects as an NBA player.
Bronny James starts South Bay Lakers career with disappointing 6-point effort
Bronny James finished his G League debut with the South Bay Lakers with a win against the Salt Lake City Stars.
The former USC guard drew quite a crowd for his first South Bay game. Bleacher Report’s Zach Bachar reported that his family, teammate Anthony Davis, and Lakers GM Rob Pelinka were also in attendance.
He also wrote about the other things James Jr. did on the hardwood:
He also recorded three rebounds, four assists, two steals and a block. James missed all four of his three-point attempts and shot 2-5 from inside the arc.
While his performance is a respectable effort for a young player diagnosed with a congenital heart defect a year ago, it’s far below an acceptable standard of what an NBA player should strive for. The fact that fans are already making fun of Bronny’s G League debut speaks volumes about his stock as an NBA-level talent.
Does Bronny James have a future in the NBA?
It’s a tough question to ask if you’re a Bronny fan.
Any reasonable fan would find it hard to justify giving a player of Bronny’s level a spot in an NBA team when there are athletes who can do what he’s doing at a better rate.
He’s far from ready for more reps on an NBA court after his performance levels over five games. Moreover, his lone year at USC doesn’t instill much hope that he would amount to a great role player the way he is at the moment.
However, even the elder James admitted that Bronny is a project player that needs time to develop, as reported by USA TODAY’s Cydney Henderson:
“Just (looking forward to) seeing him continue to grow as a basketball player, no matter if it’s here with us or if it’s down with the G League team, and him continuing to get better and better and better,” LeBron James said on Sept. 30. “His job is to put the work in and get better and better, just like the rest of us. And we want to hold him accountable, and he’s going to hold us accountable. And if we all do that, we all get better, because we’re all one team. We’re a reflection of South Bay; South Bay is a reflection of us.”
It remains to be seen if Bronny could create a niche for himself in the league. However, it’s not like basketball’s the only destination for him. The fact that the scion of the James household is already amassing a small fortune of his own shows that he’ll be fine with or without NBA baskketball.
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