Bronny James is eager to prove he can thrive in the NBA outside of father LeBron’s shadow this season.
But he has looked exposed without his father so far in the Lakers’ preseason.
The 22-year-old went scoreless on two field-goal attempts, along with one rebound and four turnovers in 11 minutes against the Warriors on Tuesday night.
Through four preseason games, James has averaged 2.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 3.3 assists in 17.5 minutes per game.
Lakers coach JJ Redick was asked how he assesses James’ “confidence and aggression” throughout this preseason, given how last season ended for him.
“Yeah. I thought he had a really nice September and a good summer. I don’t think he has played well in the four preseason games, but he has had good practices,” Redick said.
“Again, some of it is just rhythm; some of it is who he’s playing with. He’s playing a lot of minutes, especially in the second half of games, with our two-way guys. And tonight, he played with Rafael [Castro], who has been with us for three days,” he continued.
“Some of it is the group he’s with; I think that is not necessarily setting him up for success,” Redick added.
Redick’s answer about James has gotten a lot of attention on social media, as many fans feel like he’s trying to excuse James’ poor play on the teammates he has been playing with.
There might be some truth to James’ supporting cast doing him no favors. But those who are watching the Lakers this preseason can clearly see James is struggling, regardless of who he’s on the court with.
