Frustrated Bronny James admits he’s ‘in a little slump’ as LeBron’s son underwhelms AGAIN for the Lakers
Bronny James continued to stumble in Summer League as his Los Angeles Lakers lost 99-80 to the Houston Rockets.
LeBron James’ son has struggled with his shooting and Friday night’s 19-point loss to Houston was no exception.
James shot a whopping 3-of-14 from the field and an even worse 0-of-8 from the 3-point line. He finished with eight points, five rebounds, two steals and three turnovers.
“I feel like I’m in a bit of a slump,” James said after the game.
When asked about his time in the G-League, he replied, “I just look forward to the basketball games that I play, no matter what level I play at.”
Lakers rookie Bronny James admitted he was in a ‘little slump’ during Summer League competition
He scored just eight points on 3-for-14 shooting — 0-for-8 from beyond the three-point line
Although James had a strong defense, he couldn’t slow down Reed Sheppard, the third overall pick in the draft.
“I’ve known Reed since fifth grade,” James said. “I know he’s a shooter, so I just tried to get into his body and keep those 3s from going up. I tried to take him full court and show my effort to the GM and coaches.”
Sheppard shot 4-for-6 from 3-point range. His final stat line was 23 points, four rebounds, five assists and four turnovers on 9-for-17 shooting.
Despite his past underperformance, Lakers coaches still see potential in this year’s 55th overall pick.
“Shit, he’s going to have a long career,” Lakers Summer League coach Dane Johnson said. “This is just the beginning. We’re just going to keep teaching him [confidence]keep that in their minds. So we still have a long way to go.’
When asked about James potentially spending time in the G League, Johnson, who coaches the G League’s South Bay Lakers, did not reveal any exact organizational plans for the rookie.
“I don’t know yet, so I can’t really say anything,” Johnson said. “But I think all of these guys are going to end up in the G League at some point — the draftees.”
Despite his slow start to Summer League, Lakers coaches and executives are optimistic
Several Lakers coaches and executives attended the game, including new coach JJ Redick and general manager Rob Pelinka.
During ESPN’s broadcast of the game, Redick said they want Bronny to “pressure the ball.”
“I told him yesterday, I said, ‘If you get blown out, if you have 10 fouls, that’s my fault. I want you to pressure the ball,'” Redick said.
The Lakers’ next Summer League game is Monday against the Boston Celtics.