Bronny James, the Lakers rookie, the Prince, had been sidelined since early November with a heel contusion. But on Saturday, he made a strong return in his 3rd G League game, delivering his best performance yet in a Purple and Gold jersey. It was a big moment for the 20-year-old, who has been getting acclimated to the South Bay Lakers. Under the current setup by Rob Pelinka and JJ Redick, Bronny will only play in home games for the G League affiliate. With that said, the young gun returned in style, or did he?
James set a new career high with 16 points, hitting 6 of 15 shots. Along with his scoring, he grabbed 4 rebounds, dished out 2 assists, and blocked a shot. Further breaking it down, James contributed 10 points in the first half, shooting 3-of-7, with 2 rebounds and an assist, while posting a plus-nine on the court! He continued his impact in the second half, adding 6 more points, helping South Bay secure a win over San Diego. With the victory, South Bay improved to 4-8, though they still sit 2nd to last in the West Division.
Bronny struggled with his 3-point shooting again, missing all four attempts. Rather than relying on the deep shot, he opted to attack the basket more. Considering his shooting issues so far in his rookie season, this decision made sense. It was a smart move, even though his range wasn’t falling.
The 6-foot-1 guard feels good about his development. “I think it’s good. Game by game, trying to learn everything I can. Always just staying aggressive and playing my game. Playing for my teammates and coaches. It’s been good so far,” said Bronny.
16 points is NOT enough for fans to celebrate Bronny James; ‘standards’ discussion emerges…
“The standard for him has gotten so bad *crying emoji* *crying emoji* *crying emoji*” said one user. 16 points in the G League is nothing amazing, and being celebrated for it does not sit well with a lot of people. Let’s be very real here. The attention is only there because of his last name. He went 6 of 15 for shooting, which is just bad. So the standard has definitely been lowered for the Prince.
What’s your perspective on:
Is Bronny James living up to the ‘James’ legacy, or are fans expecting too much too soon?
Have an interesting take?
Another user took a dig at the James family. “0/4 from 3pt? *crying emoji*. Like father like son,” they wrote. LeBron James recently was in the worst shooting phase of his career. He missed 19 straight shots from beyond the arc in 4 matches. Boldly, many fan-cum- analysts believe that Bronny does take after his father, after all, going 0/4 from beyond the arc.
A user chimed in, “We are posting G-League Players not even dropping 20 now????”. For real, the stats aren’t even good, they were just average. He also has been resting for a long time. This sort of performance is expected from him. Plus, it is the G League, not the NBA. But he’s in the G League for development only, which seems to be going okay. Bronny’s shooting is better than before, at least.
“Horrific shot chucker,” wrote another user. Bronny’s shooting is one of his biggest weaknesses.
At USC, the hoopster struggled with catch-and-shoot threes, making only 19.6%. Even at Sierra Canyon, his accuracy was only 33.8%. If James Jr. hopes to level up his game, improving that shot will be crucial.
Bronny James tonight:
16 points
4 rebounds
2 assists
6/15 FG
0/4 3POnly 22 minutes. 👀 pic.twitter.com/7pNFNwEyur
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) December 8, 2024
One user wrote, “We’re celebrating 16 points on 15 shots *crying emoji*”. In today’s NBA, efficiency is king, and shooting percentages matter a lot. While scoring 16 points in any game is commendable, the fact that it came in 15 attempts shows Bronny struggled to make a significant impact on offense. Fans expect a bit more precision, especially given the hype surrounding LeBron James’ son. But remember, Bronny is still adjusting to the pro-level intensity, and it’s a long road ahead.
The hoops world has turned into an unforgiving place. Ex-players like Big Perk already proposed a career wrap for King James after an embarrassing shooting slump. Imagine, 22 years of basketball service, and fans still won’t allow him to be human for once. At this point, whatever the stakes may be, we can only sympathize with what Bronny’s been going through. But he’s a tough dude.
