Bronny James made his long-awaited NBA debut on Saturday in the Los Angeles Lakers’ California Classic against the Sacramento Kings (the league’s annual Vegas Summer League prelude), but overall it was a somewhat disappointing performance. James made just 2 of 9 field goals and missed both free throws in a 108-94 loss to the Kings. James finished with 4 points, 2 assists, 2 rebounds and 1 steal.
James, the eldest son of NBA legend LeBron James, struggled for fairly predictable reasons. The biggest question mark about his game after being selected 55th overall in last month’s draft was his jump shot. Given his limitations as a shot creator, his path to success in the NBA was always going to be through a 3-pointer and defensive role player. But on Saturday, he attempted five shots outside the paint and made just one. His only success inside the paint was a layup. His jump shot looked shaky throughout the game.
That’s not to say there weren’t positives: James has a great feel for the game, knows how to play within the offensive line and was decisive as a ball-handler, turning a handoff into a quick drive for a layup and his first points as a pro.
In the third quarter, he shook off his defender with a brilliant behind-the-back dribble and made a shot from mid-range.
“I was just focused on being aggressive and going downhill for layups,” James said after the game about his shot selections, “but I wasn’t always open so I had to settle for mid-range. Coach always told me, especially being a big guy as a guard, to go downhill and use my body to create open lanes for Collin.” [Castleton] Sometimes I think that way, but he was thinking about my athleticism and told me to be aggressive on the downhill stretches.”
Defense has always been Bronny’s best trait as a high school prospect, and he’s had some success on the court defensively. He played aggressively, got a number of deflections, and even recorded a steal in the box score. But his size has been a bit of an issue in certain matchups. James is just under 6’2″, a very unusual build by 3&D standards, as the archetype typically relies on longer wings instead of smaller guards.
The game offered a glimpse into James’ path to NBA success, but it also exposed many of the flaws that made him a late second-round prospect. His defensive prowess, especially at the point of attack, will go a long way early on. But he’s too small to guard multiple positions at a high level and won’t justify any consistent role unless he develops a jump shot. His jump shot on Saturday looked like it had room for improvement, as it has throughout his career as an amateur.
A struggle in Summer League doesn’t necessarily mean a disappointing career. James still has a long way to go, and the one game he didn’t play in Las Vegas doesn’t mean much in the grand scheme of things. He looked like the player the entire basketball world expected him to be on Saturday: a flawed but promising role player who needs to improve to thrive in the NBA.
