Bronny James has capitalized on key injuries to secure a rotation spot with the Los Angeles Lakers entering their first-round Western Conference playoff series against the Houston Rockets.
However, according to seasoned NBA analyst Skip Bayless, the sophomore guard may not be ready for the increased spotlight after shying away from maximizing his potential to be a “dynamic” player.
Skip Bayless ‘Mildly Disappointed’ by Bronny James’ Sophomore Season With Lakers
James has drawn unprecedented attention for a late second-round draft pick since entering the NBA in 2024 due to his high profile as Lakers star LeBron James’ son. Still, Bronny has had to fight tooth and nail to earn playing time, splitting his first two campaigns between LA and its NBA G League affiliate, the South Bay Lakers.
While Bronny has turned heads with his two-way production in the G League, most of his NBA minutes in Year 2 came late in blowouts, with the 21-year-old providing scrappy defense and energy despite his minimal offensive impact.
Late-season injuries to the Lakers’ star backcourt duo of Luka Dončić (hamstring) and Austin Reaves (oblique) opened the door for Bronny to receive increased run, though. While the 2024 No. 55 pick has continued to make his presence felt defensively and has shown improvement as a 3-point shooter, Bayless remains underwhelmed.
In a clip from a pre-recorded appearance on VladTV released on Thursday, Bayless expressed a desire to see Bronny play with more confidence.
“I don’t,” Bayless said when asked if Bronny “would be playing in the NBA” if not for his father. “Even though he’s had some explosions that surprised me pleasantly in G League games, I still haven’t seen enough from him on the pro level.”
Bayless then acknowledged that Bronny is dealing with unfair “pressure” being named LeBron James Jr., before lauding his character as “completely level-headed” and “even-keeled.”
Still, the pundit believes the Lakers reserve “doesn’t take himself maybe even seriously enough” to reach his ceiling as a versatile backcourt weapon.
“He’s been timid in games, and I guess that’s where you’re LeBron James Jr., but too many times … he just runs to the corner and stands in the corner, and I wanted him to be dynamic and take over games and assert himself because he’s talented,” Bayless explained.
Bayless added that Bronny’s defensive impact has also been overstated.
“And yet, defensively, I don’t see a demon,” Bayless continued. “I don’t see somebody who locks you up and locks you down. I haven’t seen that yet. So, I’ve been mildly disappointed in him.”
Across the shorthanded Lakers’ final six outings, Bronny averaged 7.2 points, 1.0 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 0.8 steals, and 1.5 3-pointers, shooting 47.2% overall and 42.9% from deep in 16.9 minutes per game.
Bronny’s increased production prompted Lakers coach JJ Redick to gush that he has “improved a lot” and earned his coaching staff’s “trust.” LeBron also made it clear that he feels his son “earned” an opportunity to “get his number called for a postseason game.”
Bronny will have a chance to score his first career playoff points this Saturday when the fourth-seeded Lakers open their first-round series against the fifth-seeded Rockets, with LA heading in as a major underdog without two members of its Big 3.
