Through three preseason games so far, Bronny James has been on the court for a total of 36 minutes, and in that time period, the Los Angeles Lakers have been outscored by 40 points to their opponents. As a result, this actually means out of 494 NBA players, Bronny has the worst plus/minus in the entire league.
Bronny James has the LOWEST +/- of ALL preseason players (-40) 😭 pic.twitter.com/LjnZucjpQq
— BricksCenter (@BricksCenter) October 11, 2024
In 11.9 minutes per game, he has averaged 0.7 points, 1.0 rebounds, 0.3 assists, and 1.0 blocks, while shooting 1-for-11 from the field and 0-for-4 from deep.
That is to say, as a late-second round pick (No. 55) in the 2024 Draft, there really shouldn't be too high of expectations for the kid out of USC, who just turned 20 years old.
With that being said, when you are the son of LeBron James, the world's all-time leading scorer in basketball history, then the pressure can be insurmountable.
Fans have reacted to Bronny's abysmal stats, with some saying, "Bronny will retire before his Dad (39 years old)."
And many others are criticizing Bronny even being in the NBA, while citing nepotism.
In view of his collegiate stats, Bronny averaged a mere 4.8 points (35.6% FG; 26.7% 3PT), 2.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game during his one-and-done Freshman season. Then in the NBA Summer League, he contributed, 8.8 points (35% FG; 15.8% 3PT), 3.5 rebounds, and 1.0 assists in 25 minutes per game.
LeBron James' teammate of five years, Anthony Davis, stook up for Bronny when talking to reporters following last week's preseason game vs. the Phoenix Suns.
AD spoke to reporters postgame to discuss the moment Bronny and LeBron shared the court and what he's seen from Bronny defensively. pic.twitter.com/OHwtCfftms
— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) October 7, 2024
"He's tough," AD said. "Obviously, he's defensive-minded, some great blocks. And the physicality he gets over screens. He's good with his hands with deflections and steals."
"He's also still learning," Davis continued. "He's still trying to figure everything out. We have to realize that."
All in all, Bronny still has a lot of time to grow, and scouts still believe he has the intangibles to be a successful 3-and-D player at the next level.
The next chance for Bronny to play will come Tuesday, October 15 (7:00 pm ET), when the Lakers host Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors.
Related: LeBron And Bronny Make NBA History As First Father-Son Duo To Share The Court Together
