ORLANDO, Fla. — Effectively, the glass-one-quarter-full perspective on the Bronny James Present this weekend is to say it may have been worse. However it definitely may have been higher.
The NBA G League Winter Showcase got here to Orlando, Fla., this weekend, and with the Los Angeles Lakers’ determination to assign James for this occasion, he instantly turned the star attraction, with each video games nationally televised.
This was a 20-year-old rookie taking part in his third month {of professional} basketball, and I’ve definitely seen extra tragic performances from younger prospects studying the arduous manner at this degree. However on a courtroom largely crammed with gamers whose NBA careers will probably be measured in 10-day increments, James failed to face out and at instances struggled to maintain up.
He bought off to a scorching begin in his first sport Thursday en path to a 16-point, five-assist evening however struggled badly in the second (six factors, seven assists, six turnovers) and was tormented by cringe ballhandling miscues in each. Single-game plus-minus is fairly unreliable, however James taking dwelling a minus-13 in a sport his workforce gained by 16 on Saturday conformed with the overall eye check.
Primarily based on James’ different G League performances, these two video games weren’t outliers. James drew consideration earlier this month by scoring 30 factors in a G League sport towards the Valley Suns, however that was far and away his greatest outing. In his different seven video games at this degree, he’s shot simply 24 of 76 with an alarming turnover charge.
No, we don’t have this degree of scrutiny for different late second-round spherical picks, a lot of whom have struggled simply as badly or worse of their first two G League seasons (*cough* Maxwell Lewis *cough*). A minimum of three gamers drafted forward of James have been demonstrably worse of their G League minutes this season, and a number of other others have failed to tell apart themselves as notably higher.
However in case you’re on the lookout for one thing to get enthusiastic about, Lakers followers, I’m unsure I’ve a lot for you simply but.
Let’s begin with the positives. James confirmed some flashes of pick-and-roll viability in his on-ball reps, particularly when he may begin the transfer with a tough dribble left across the display. He was snug attending to a right-handed floater going that manner and even handed about snaking it again to his proper hand to both get to the rim or drive a rotation and hit the large man.
In grab-and-goes and different transition conditions, his hit-ahead passes have been on level and brought on issues for opponents. James additionally confirmed his two-footed leaping capability at instances, together with a formidable visitors rebound Saturday and a flying swat in transition.
Sadly, that didn’t offset the opposite areas through which he fell brief. Typically a participant able to contribute on the NBA degree will prepare dinner G League defenses fairly simply, particularly an aspiring guard. James’ South Bay teammate Devonte’ Graham, for example, rolled in off his sofa and scored 24 on Saturday after going unsigned following his 2023-24 season in San Antonio.
For James, that didn’t occur. He struggled to manage his dribble at a number of factors, a crimson flag for a small guard who’s listed at 6-foot-3. In Saturday’s second half, he dedicated the holy trinity of turnovers making an attempt to carry the ball up towards stress, getting his dribble picked on one journey, failing to clear the backcourt in eight seconds on one other and wandering again into the backcourt on a 3rd. Asking him to play the purpose looks like an entire non-starter.
Within the half courtroom, he may work with a display, however isolations have been a distinct story. James has no wiggle to his sport and couldn’t shake defenders in one-on-one matchups after switches and hasn’t established himself as a authentic 3-point menace both on or off the ball. He made two of his eight makes an attempt from 3 in Orlando and is 7-of-33 from distance in his G League season. Between that and his restricted capability to get to the cup on his personal steam, his true taking pictures proportion of 45.4 heading into Saturday was alarmingly poor.
Of maybe equal concern is that James’ possible position on the NBA degree can be as an athletic vitality man, however his motor simply doesn’t appear to run that scorching and lower out at a number of totally different factors. James is an effective athlete with a robust body, however you don’t “really feel” him in the midst of a sport as a result of his exercise degree is so low. Notably, there have been a number of moments when he lazed again in transition fairly than sprinting again to intervene with an opposing break; off the ball, he wasn’t practically as energetic or handsy as you’ll hope for a small guard.
In what is maybe a associated story, fatigue appeared to be an actual subject for him in each video games, particularly after a couple of minutes on the courtroom. It was solely two video games, however watching him right here, it certain appeared like he’d begin every stint on the courtroom with two or three good minutes, after which his glitch charge would undergo the roof quickly after.
Finally, the takeaway from many right here to chronicle his efficiency was to go forward and get conversant in our environment, as a result of we’ll most likely be doing the identical factor once more subsequent 12 months. The identical might be stated of a whole lot of the gamers right here, particularly the late draft picks, however solely certainly one of them is the son of a legendary celebrity.
(Photograph of Bronny James: Scott Audette / NBAE by way of Getty Pictures)
