Lakers’ Bronny James blows golden opportunity to shine without Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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Bronny James received a gift on Monday.
With the Los Angeles Lakers announcing that they would be without Austin Reaves (right groin soreness) and Luka Doncic (lower left leg contusion management), James had a prime opportunity to shine off the bench against the Portland Trail Blazers.
However, the USC product dropped the ball, only recording five points (25% field goal shooting) in 16 minutes. James did dish out six assists in the Lakers’ 123-115 road win, but there’s no question that from an aggression standpoint, he failed to rise to the occasion once again.
Nick Smith Jr, on the other hand, understood what was at stake and didn’t hesitate to look for his shot early and often.
The former Charlotte Hornets guard signed with the Lakers in late September and immediately posed a threat to James from a playing time standpoint.
The 21-year-old had his moments with the Hornets from 2023 to 2025, and was brought in by Los Angeles to provide valuable minutes as an energetic, natural-born scorer.
Smith finished Sunday night’s clash with 25 points (66.7% field goal shooting) to go along with six assists, negatively impacting James’ chances of inching closer to earning more burn on the hardwood.
James wasn’t terrible by any way, shape, or form. However, considering the 21-year-old wants to take a massive leap in Year 2, he certainly didn’t do himself any favors against the Trail Blazers in a larger offensive role.
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