Lakers Assign Bronny James to G League Affiliate

The Lakers have made an early season decision on Bronny James. They are moving him to the G League. The decision comes after much speculation about where the high-profile rookie might land, but it’s not entirely unexpected either.

Bronny's Initial NBA Struggles

James, who has had a ton of fanfare due to his father, did not look great during the summer league and preseason. He showed flashes of talent at times, but also greatly struggled in terms of being able to defend or properly space the floor.

He put up 17 points in his last preseason start, but ultimately just averaged,

1. 4.2 points
2. 1.5 rebounds
3. 0.3 assists

While some held hope he might see play when the season began, those numbers against lower-level players did not inspire a lot of confidence.

After Bronny only played in two games this season, and did next to nothing in that time, the Lakers announced they plan to move him to South Bay this week.

He will stay with Los Angeles for the game against the 76ers, but then move down and make his G League debut against Salt Lake City on Saturday.

Even more interesting is that he’s only expected to play in South bay home games. That will give him more flexibility, and provide Los Angeles with the opportunity to make roster moves or bring him up and down as needed.

Recovering from a Slow Start

While many people had high hopes for LeBron James jr. his early performance has not lived up to his (or his dad’s) expectations. He’s been overmatched on the court, and can’t seem to find his footing when it comes to driving or shooting. His switching and man defense both seem slow too.

Looking at his raw stats, it’s clear he’s not NBA ready. He only played a single season as USC before moving into the league, and while he does have raw athleticism that shows rebounding or role player promise, his offense needs a lot of work.

That’s what the Lakers hope some time in the G League will teach him. While some Bronny fans may not like the decision, the organization stated their plan was to always send James down after seeing him play in the big leagues.

Redick sees Bronny as key to Lakers’ development program

"Our plans are always fluid based on real time," head coach JJ Redick told reporters.

"I believe we have two guys dressing today that as of yesterday we're not dressing out. The plan for Bronny to move between the Lakers and South Bay has always been the plan since day one. [General manager] Rob [Pelinka] and I have talked about that. LeBron's talked about that."

LeBron has spoken about wanting to play with his son, but the competitor also wants to win games. Right now, that means letting Bronny develop. The Lakers organization seems to agree.

"For us, prioritizing player development, we view Bronny as like, case study one, because his base level of feel, athleticism, point-of-attack defender, shooting, passing, there's a lot to like about his game," Redick told reporters back in July.

"And as we sort of build out our player development program holistically, he's going to have a great opportunity to become an excellent NBA player."

Bronny’s Next Step

It is not clear how well James will do in the G League, or how long the “case study” will continue. Even so, there’s no doubt that getting him onto a floor with other high-end talent will give him a better feel for the flow of a faster game.

Regardless of what happens, however, it does seem that he’s going to be tied to the organization as long as LeBron sticks around. The superstar has long wanted to play with Bronny, and seems determined to get him up to speed.

The pair were on the floor together during the first game of the season during a three minute stretch in the Lakers win over the Timberwolves. That made them the first father-son duo to play together in NBA history.

While LeBron likely wants more games with his son, the Lakers have fallen to 4-4 after a hot start. They need to bounce back and currently for the organization, there are more important aspects to focus on that whether or not Bronny can fit in with the team.

That’s a problem for later in the season.

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