Bronny James’ NBA career is off to a slow start. He has not received consistent playing time with the Los Angeles Lakers, but LeBron James, Gabe Vincent, and Deandre Ayton sat out of their contest against the Miami Heat on Nov. 2 due to injuries. This allowed Bronny to play 18 minutes, but he struggled to score with just two points on 1-of-4 from the field. However, Luka Dončić and head coach JJ Redick praised the sophomore following the team’s 130-120 victory over Miami.
Will Bronny James Have More Confidence After Luka Dončić’s Comments?
Dončić spoke on Bronny’s defensive effort in the victory. “He played great today … he was great defensively. And we expect him to do that, and it was amazing,” said the Lakers superstar, who finished with 29 points, 11 assists, and 11 rebounds. Austin Reaves also had 26 points and 11 assists- one of which included a fascinating alley-oop to Bronny. Both guards have led Los Angeles to a 5-2 record with LeBron James to start the campaign.
Dončić spoke positively regarding Bronny’s ability to stay ready, even though he does not know when he will see the court. “In those kind of moments, you never know if you’re gonna play or not. He was ready, and that means a lot to us, and he was ready to go at the right moment,” said Dončić confidently.
Luka on Bronny: “He was great. In those kind of moments, you never know if you’re gonna play or not. He was ready, and that means a lot to us, and he was ready to go at the right moment. So he played great today, he was great defensively. And we expect him to do that, and it was…
— Ryan Ward (@RyanWardLA) November 3, 2025
Bronny entered the league as one of the most significant second-round picks in NBA history. Questions surrounded his perimeter shot and off-the-dribble capabilities. He has shot 26.5% from 3-point range on 1.1 attempts in his professional career.
In contrast, Bronny developed a strong reputation at the University of Southern California as a tenacious, on-ball guard defender. The 55th pick in the 2024 NBA Draft collected three steals against Miami. In the early days of the 2025-26 campaign, the Heat rank third in the association at 124.5 points per game. Bronny helped the Lakers hold them to 120 points in the victory.
JJ Redick Trusts Bronny in the Fourth Quarter
When the Lakers are healthy, Bronny does not have a clear role. His shooting struggles limit the Lakers’ offensive ceiling, especially when his father returns to the court. He needs to take advantage of every opportunity he has while the Lakers deal with injuries. According to head coach JJ Redick, he did just that against the Heat, playing meaningful minutes in the fourth quarter.
“Luka was double-teamed; he [Bronny] was the next guy. He drove the closeout, got in the paint, read the paint swarm, and ended up getting his teammate an open three,” said Redick after the game. “So just a really good building block for him tonight to play in a very meaningful game in the fourth quarter and have a lot of good plays.”
Bronny affected the game outside of the scoring column with his defense and playmaking in a close contest.