The Los Angeles Lakers have been forced to use Bronny James in seven of their first ten games, and fans should be questioning his future in the NBA. The 21-year-old is playing behind Nick Smith Jr. in the rotation, who is on a two-way contract after being waived by the rebuilding Hornets. Bronny is on a cheap contract through the 2027-28 season, but the Lakers [need production from that roster spot](https://lakeshowlife.com/los-angeles-lakers-time-fans-have-uncomfortable-bronny-james-discussion).
Injuries have forced head coach JJ Redick to use the younger James. It [instantly blew up in his face](https://lakeshowlife.com/it-took-just-one-game-bronny-james-prove-jj-redick-right-lakers) and hasn’t looked better since. Bronny is averaging 2.6 points, 1.9 assists, and 0.9 steals in 12.7 minutes per game. That includes plenty of garbage time, but the efficiency and advanced metrics tell fans all they need to know.
Bronny is a replacement-level player without a role. The 6’2 guard is not an offensive initiator or catch-and-shoot weapon. On defense, he struggles to defend on the ball and tends to lose his man when playing off of it. There have been a lot of head-scratching moments from the second-round draft pick. The Lakers are 7-3, but James has struggled to make an impact, even with multiple players missing time due to injury.
Bronny James is not an NBA player right now
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He is shooting 35.0 percent from the field and 33.3 percent on his 3-point attempts so far this season. Bronny sits at 40 percent in effective field goal, which ranks 377th of 454 players who have appeared in an NBA game so far this season.
The advanced metrics are only slightly kinder. He has a 0.0 value over replacement player (VORP) and sits 345th in win share per 48 minutes.
If the average NBA rotation features ten players, Bronny still rates below the qualifying line in both metrics. The Lakers have been without Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, Gabe Vincent, and Marcus Smart for stretches early in the season. LeBron James still hasn’t played a game. LA has needed all hands on deck, which gave Bronny a shot. Sadly, he failed the test.
The 21-year-old has appeared in four straight games, but will be the first cut when Reaves or Vincent returns from injury. LeBron is also getting healthy and will likely push Dalton Knecht out of the rotation. It will further put Rob Pelinka’s draft track record into question, but it is the right move as the Lakers attempt to move into serious title contention. It has been a strong start, not counting the nightmare loss to the Hawks, but LA needs better health and less Bronny to make the leap.
Bronny has shown some flashes. He had six assists in a shorthanded win over the Blazers that nobody expected. James scored a season-high nine points in 18 minutes against the Hawks. He has five steals in the last four games. The Lakers need his playmaking, jumper, and defense to improve, but the 21-year-old has time. He isn’t ready for NBA minutes now. That doesn’t mean his career is over.
Los Angeles Lakers fans should want Bronny James to head to the G League for more seasoning. He needs minutes to improve his game. The 21-year-old is not ready for NBA run. Fans hope lies with the flashes they’ve seen. Bronny needs to turn them into consistent production. It hasn’t happened yet, and the opportunities can't be there if the Lakers want to win games. Hopefully, they have better health and don’t need the second-year guard moving forward. Their title hopes depend on it.