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The preseason has been an exciting time for the Lakers.
Several players are exceeding expectations. Everyone is bragging that the defense will be better than anticipated. One practice was so physical that Lakers coach JJ Redick had to alter the drills.
But there’s one player in particular who has quietly struggled amid the outpouring of yellow-and-purple-streaked optimism.
Bronny James hasn’t played to his potential this preseason.
He’s averaging only 2.8 points on 26.7% shooting and 3.3 assists in 17.5 minutes per game over four contests.
He hasn’t been playing like the player who turned heads with 17 points on 7-for-10 shooting (2-for-4 from beyond the arc), five assists and three rebounds against the Bulls when he was a rookie in March 2025.
You know, the player whom Lakers coach JJ Redick said was a few tweaks away from becoming impactful.
“I think the next step is just becoming like an elite-conditioned athlete,” Redick said in March 2025. “Because when he does that, with his physical tools and just his burst and his handle, we think he’s going to be an above-average to really good NBA shooter. He’s going to have a chance to really make an impact.”
He definitely hasn’t been playing like the player who earned playoff minutes for the Lakers last season against the Rockets.
Bronny will be entering his third season in the NBA. He’s the third-longest tenured Laker. The Lakers need more from him.
So far this preseason, Bronny has more turnovers (12) than points (11).
It’s no secret that things have changed for Bronny since LeBron James left the Lakers for the 76ers in free agency.
Bronny is no longer sharing the locker room with his superstar father. The 55th pick in the 2024 NBA draft has to stand on his own two feet.
It’s something that excites him.
“He’s got his own path and I got my own,” Bronny said at Lakers media day last month. “So he knows that I want to make a name for myself and continue my career and keep growing as a player. And he knows that I want to focus on that.”
Bronny has had both a red-carpet-lined path to the NBA as well as the cards stacked against him.
He has had the backing of his father who has been the face of the league for two decades and is arguably the greatest player of all-time. But he has also gotten an incredibly unfair amount of criticism for a guy who was selected near the bottom of the second round of the draft.
Bronny has already made great strides to silence the accusations of nepotism. He has proven that he’s an NBA player. But he must take leaps this season or that noise white noise is going to come back with roaring ferocity.
Bronny’s struggles in the preseason are both meaningful and meaningless. It’s not fair to read into them too much. But it’s also fair that Bronny needs to be on edge.
The Lakers need Bronny to make an impact off the bench. They need him to deliver a scoring punch. They need him to be a reliable defender.
Redick acknowledged that Bronny hasn’t looked up to snuff, but he also partially blamed himself for that.
“I thought he had a really nice September and a good summer with us,” Redick said after the Lakers lost their exhibition game to the Warriors on Tuesday, 101-89. “I don’t think he’s played well in the four preseason games, but he’s had good practices. Some of it is just rhythm, some of it’s who he’s playing with, right?
“He’s played a lot of minutes especially in the second half of games with with our two-way guys and tonight he played with Rafael [Castro] who’s been with us for three days. So, some of it is like the group he’s with I think is not necessarily setting him up for success.”
Redick’s comments upset many people across the internet who accused him of making excuses for Bronny. But obviously Bronny is going to have more turnovers alongside two-way players than stars.
It’s hard not to root for Bronny here.
James went from suffering a cardiac arrest at USC that could’ve threatened his life to playing meaningful NBA minutes. His teammates and coaches genuinely like him. He goes golfing with Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves.
Despite being the son of a billionaire, he’s humble. He’s understated. He works hard.
But it’s no secret that his turnovers must decrease. He must shoot at a higher percentage. He needs to be more consistent.
Not much can be gleaned from the preseason. Bronny has already proven that he belongs on an NBA roster.
But the Lakers also are trying to win their 18th championship. Everyone needs to star in their role — or else.
And his name has been conspicuously omitted when the team’s star name who has impressed them preseason, a list that often includes Quentin Grimes, Collin Sexton, Matisse Thybulle, Ziaire Williams, Adou Thiero, Cameron Carr, Sandro Mamukelashvili and Jake LaRavia.
The Lakers fully guaranteed Bronny’s $2.3 million salary for the 2026-27 season, and he has a $2.5 million team option for 2027-28.
Bronny needs to prove that he can be a difference maker.
He needs to do the small things night after night that affect winning.
He needs to play better.
Or else his supporters are going to have a tough time trying to hold the door shut against his seemingly endless stampede of detractors.