Bronny James spent the majority of Thursday’s Game 2 clash against the Oklahoma City Thunder watching from the sidelines as his Los Angeles Lakers collapsed in the second half en route to a frustrating 125-107 road defeat.
As LA fell into a daunting 2-0 hole against the defending NBA champions in the Western Conference semifinal series, reserve wing Jake LaRavia came under fire for his struggles on both ends of the floor. Calls subsequently began mounting for Bronny to take LaRavia’s spot in Lakers coach JJ Redick’s rotation.
Jake LaRavia Faces Backlash in Lakers’ Game 2 Letdown as Bronny James’ Support Grows
LaRavia logged 10 minutes off the bench Thursday, going scoreless on 0-for-2 shooting while recording 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 turnover, and 2 fouls. Most concerningly, the 24-year-old finished with a plus-minus of minus-14 in limited action.
During the contest, lowlights circulated of LaRavia looking flustered on offense and getting blown by on defense, sparking questions about why Redick continues to utilize him.
“WHY IS JAKE LARAVIA STILL GETTING MINUTES?” one user asked.
WHY IS JAKE LARAVIA STILL GETTING MINUTES pic.twitter.com/fMICVDuMwT
— Shabazz 💫 (@ShowCaseShabazz) May 8, 2026
“Jake LaRavia is terrible,” content creator Legend Of Winning asserted.
Jake LaRavia is terrible
— LegendOfWinning (@LegendOfWinning) May 8, 2026
“Jake LaRavia has no idea what to do when the ball touches his hands, but JJ keeps throwing him to wolves to blow up possessions on both ends. There’s absolutely nothing he can do to help this team. Ball is a grenade in his hands,” Lakers Guru reacted.
😂😂😂😂Jake LaRavia has no idea what to do when the ball touches his hands but JJ keeps throwing him to wolves to blow up possessions on both ends. There’s absolutely nothing he can do to help this team. Ball is a grenade in his hands.
— 🏆LakersGuru🏆 (@GuruLakers) May 8, 2026
“Jake LaRavia better not see another minute or we riot @jj_redick,” YouTuber Kristopher London vented.
Jake LaRavia better not see another minute or we riot @jj_redick
— Kristopher London (@IamKrisLondon) May 8, 2026
FS1’s Nick Wright also doubled down on his Game 1 declaration that LaRavia has “arguably been the single worst player this postseason,” underscoring LA’s struggles during his minutes.
“Lakers 1st Half Game 2 @ OKC minus-8 in 6 Jake LaRavia minutes. Plus-9 in 18 non-LaRavia minutes,” Wright pointed out.
Updating this…
Lakers 1st Half Game 2 @ OKC
-8 in 6 Jake LaRavia minutes
+ 9 in 18 non-LaRavia minutes https://t.co/By5Ljwbwzv— nick wright (@getnickwright) May 8, 2026
Meanwhile, Bronny gained traction as the most viable replacement for LaRavia’s rotation spot, given his promising play earlier in the postseason.
“There’s absolutely no way Bronny could play worse than Jake LaRavia right now,” one user claimed.
There’s absolutely no way Bronny could play worse than Jake LaRavia right now
— CLARK (@clarkcashes) May 8, 2026
“Jake LaRavia is not better than Bronny James,” another contended.
Jake LaRavia is not better than Bronny James
— Davie〽️ (@_SayHeyKid) May 8, 2026
“The only man that can save the Lakers,” content creator KenLoveHoops captioned a photo of Bronny.
The only man that can save the Lakers. pic.twitter.com/EDBHcWT5TP
— Kenlovehoops (@Kenlovehoops) May 8, 2026
While Bronny hasn’t blown anyone away with his playoff numbers, he took noticeable strides as a playmaker and shooter in the Lakers’ first-round triumph over the Houston Rockets, while making an impact defensively.
The sophomore guard ultimately received just 2 minutes in garbage time in Game 2 against OKC, logging one assist with no shot attempts. Given LaRavia’s no-show performance, Redick may be forced to give Bronny an early look in Saturday’s near must-win Game 3 home showdown.
