Philadelphia 76ers star Paul George recently shared his opinion on why Bronny James continues to struggle in the NBA. It’s been four months since LeBron James’ eldest son made his debut in the professional league, and while it was highly anticipated, many thought it was also too early, saying he should have taken his time in college to further improve his skills.
Bronny is currently under a two-way contract that sees him play for both the Lakers’ main roster and their G League counterpart in South Bay. The rookie has shown his potential to become a star in the NBA whenever he plays in the G League, but he tends to be more passive when he plays for the main roster.
“When I’ve seen (Bronny James) play, he makes the right plays,” the “Podcast P” host said on his show. “He doesn’t necessarily go out to be flashy. He can when he has moments, he’ll show you. He’s flashy, he’ll show you he can pass the s*** out of it. He shows you his athleticism, his finishing.”
Paul George continued, “But he makes the right play. Some of it from what I watched when he played us, some of it was a little indecisiveness. I think he’s feeling the pressure that when he’s on the floor, he has to produce, he has to score, he has to do something.”

The 76ers star also recalled seeing Bronny play in the AAU, saying that he plays the game the right way, but “it’s all off of feel for the game.”
“He can’t do that,” George added. “You playing on the floor with LeBron James. You have vets in front of you. The ball’s not gonna be in your hands.”
Bronny James has shown flashes of what kind of player he can be.
“He makes the right plays … he can pass the s**t out of it.” pic.twitter.com/2UTLKpXfUl
— Podcast P with Paul George (@PodcastPShow) February 3, 2025
Paul George defends Bronny James from critics
After seeing Bronny James play up close during the LA Lakers’ matchup against the Philadelphia 76ers on Jan. 28, Paul George defended the rookie from those who criticized his performance that night.
The young James went scoreless that night, playing for more than 10 minutes for the first time in the NBA. In his season-high 15 minutes, he missed all five of his shot attempts while tallying three rebounds, one assist, and one block in the 118-104 loss. The rookie was also tasked with guarding Tyrese Maxey, a mismatch to say the least.

George said on his podcast, “That’s what being a rookie is. You know what I mean? Like, you learn from these battles. You know what I mean?”
The nine-time NBA All-Star added, “You can be a veteran, you don’t necessarily win a lot of matchups sometimes, like, sometimes somebody has your number, sometimes it’s a rough match up. Sometimes it’s a learning curve. It’s a learning experience, especially for a rookie.”

However, it seemed like a different story on Saturday, with Bronny bucketing two points in his only scoring attempt against the New York Knicks. The junior James received a huge ovation from the audience that night despite being in their opponent’s territory. Amid the criticism, it appears there are still fans that want to see the rookie succeed in the NBA.
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Dan has been active in sports since 2016 and has worked behind the scenes as a scriptwriter for basketball, volleyball, and other sports. At a time, Dan has also been working as a sports commentator for CBA Pilipinas. During the pandemic, he has also been actively writing betting articles for CashBet and BetNow.