Bronny James undoubtedly hoped his offensive performance in his second NBA Summer League game would be better than his first. Alas, it was not.
The younger James, taken 55th overall in the 2024 NBA Draft, played 29 minutes in his return after taking a game off due to knee swelling. However, despite playing more than half the game, he only attempted three shots, making one of them and making one of two free throws, for a total of three points.
James took the floor as one of the Lakers’ five starters.
While James did show some improvement on the defensive side (two steals, three blocks), he also showed he has plenty of room for improvement.
WHAT A PLAY 😮💨
— NBA (@NBA) July 11, 2024
Alondes Williams with the silky spin and slick finish high off the glass!
California Classic on ESPN2 pic.twitter.com/PtB1otoyWt
Fans on X were quick to react to James’ struggles.
bronny got cooked
— Naylor (@MylesNaylor34) July 11, 2024
Bronny should be getting ready for fall semester
— Heisenberg (@Heisenberg848) July 11, 2024
Bronny please bro
— . (@reavesfanat1c) July 11, 2024
However, in fairness, James’ grit was on full display in another sequence when he put his shoulder into a much larger defender and held his ground.
Bronny James may be a small defender, but watch this clip… 👀pic.twitter.com/Q8mp9T4bF9
— SM Highlights (@SMHighlights1) July 11, 2024
On the offensive side, James has now scored seven combined points in 50 minutes of basketball.
James has the potential to get better, maybe even much better. However, those anonymous NBA scouts who criticized the Lakers for selecting him with the 55th overall pick, saying he is “not an NBA prospect,” appear to be justified in their criticism.
