Lakers Will Sacrifice Bronny James' NBA Dreams, As Long As They Get A Feel-Good Story Out Of It
The Lake Show has turned into a clown show, and Bronny James walks through the doors believing he'll be showtime when, in fact, he's doomed to get booed off the stage.
Expectations are dour when it comes to the Los Angeles Lakers' second-round pick. The kid is too green for the NBA, yet here he is, playing for a marquee franchise plainly due to the narrative he and his dad, LeBron James, wanted to create: becoming the first father-and-son duo to play pro basketball side-by-side.
It's certainly a sweet moment.
On Sunday, LeBron and Bronny shared the court for the first time in a preseason matchup against the Phoenix Suns, which the Lakers lost, 118-114, and Bronny left without scoring a point (just four turnovers and two rebounds in 13 minutes).
PALM SPRINGS, Calif. - Bronny James and LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers warm up prior to the game against the Phoenix Suns at Acrisure Arena on October 6, 2024. (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images)
Bronny has not usurped anything more than the "project" title, and calling him a prospect with the potential to make the pros is generous.
ESPN's Baxter Holmes chronicled Bronny's days of working out for NBA scouts to his eventual introduction to the team before the NBA media at the Lakers' training facility in El Segundo, Calif.
The sentiments there, from workouts to Lakers training, echoed the same concern about Bronny's undercooked skill set, with the palpable sense that Bronny was drafted in the second round purely due to his connection as LeBron's son.
"The expectations for Bronny by the fan base and by LeBron and Rich Paul are not commensurate with the reality of his game," one Eastern Conference executive said in Holmes' report. "If they had any real idea of how far away Bronny is, they just would not have done this."
READ: LeBron James And Son Bronny Share Long-Awaited, On-Court Moment For Lakers
"You're set up for failure," another scout said regarding Bronny. "It's like, what's the expectation here?"
The 6-foot guard from USC isn't good behind the line (shooting 26.7 percent from three) and his lack of size makes him a defensive liability.
When a player is touted for "intangibles," it's usually a thinly veiled compliment toward someone without many qualities to compliment.
Bronny is an anomaly in the sense that no one else who's played 25 games (total) of college ball and averaged less than five points per game could gain a red carpet to the pros.
"In a normal world, he would've been a really good four-year college player," an NBA scout reacted after watching Bronny's on-court progress since being drafted in June.
Given his connections, it makes sense for a team to roll the dice on the new 20-year-old. Had any other team, but the Lakers drafted Bronny, there'd be a real sense of wanting to develop the player into a serviceable NBA player.
SAN FRANCISCO - Bronny James Jr. of the Los Angeles Lakers shoots a foul shot against the Sacramento Kings during the second half of the 2024 California Classic summer league game at Chase Center on July 6, 2024. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
However, joining the Lakers — whose coach is none other than J.J. Redick, a joke of a hire — utilizing Bronny and putting him out there with his father to share a court appears to be nothing more than a staged photo op to capture the "historic" moment.
And once LeBron's time runs out — playing in his 22nd year and approaching 40 — it's easy to imagine this Hollywood franchise kicking Bronny to the curb like a starlet whose once-in-a-lifetime role ran out.
It sounds cold to dismiss Bronny before he's played a game (should he ever!). But nothing will hit harder than the day LA's real intentions behind drafting this hopeful hooper finally come to light.
Execs know it. The team knows it. And NBA fans aren't dumb enough to ignore it.
"He should have stayed in school. No doubt about it," a Western Conference executive said.
Follow along on X: @alejandroaveela
Send us your thoughts: alejandro.avila@outkick.com