Bronny James might not be ready for the NBA quite yet.
James received some legitimate minutes in the first quarter of the Lakers’ 118-104 loss to the 76ers on Tuesday and was abused by guard Tyrese Maxey, who isolated the rookie guard at any opportunity.
Bronny ended the game 0-for-5 from the floor with three turnovers in 15 minutes (four in the first quarter) and had a -9 plus/minus in the first quarter, one of the worst marks in the NBA on Tuesday.
“Maybe put him in a tough spot,” Lakers coach JJ Redick told reporters about giving James his first extended minutes with the team. “Flying up yesterday, nationally televised game in Philly and all that stuff. He didn’t play well, but he’s been playing great in the stay-ready games, and he’s been playing great in the G [League].”
James had mostly played mop-up duty in games that had outcomes already decided, not playing more than five minutes in any game this season.
On one of James’ first possessions on Tuesday, Maxey isolated the rookie and easily scored. James then turned it over on the offensive end, leading to a transition bucket for the 76ers.
James defended four shots in the first quarter, allowing baskets on three of them while being targeted by Maxey, who tallied 43 points in the win.
“He’s a fast guard,” Bronny said of Maxey. “Amazing touch. Can shoot it. I was trying to stand my ground. Just trying to play as hard as I can and bring as much energy as I can. That’s all.”
James played well in a G-League game Friday night for the South Bay Lakers, scoring a career-high 31 points, and immediately got the call to play his first significant minutes with the Lakers.
Bronny said he was shocked to be called up by the Lakers after the strong G-League performance.
“It just came out of nowhere, so I was always trying to stay ready to play and always keeping my mind right,” he said.
Redick said that it being the second half of a back-to-back — the Lakers beat the Hornets on Monday night — played a role in the decision.
“Just felt like on a back-to-back, just him giving us energy, I think, was the goal,” Redick said. “I have confidence in him, but obviously didn’t provide that at a high level.”
His father, LeBron James, recognized that Bronny would get better with time.
“Obviously, it’s his first extensive minutes with us,” LeBron said. “We had that first game where it was just a moment — and that was a great moment. But tonight was his first opportunity to be with the big guys, be with the big club, and he’s going to continue to use that and get better and better.”
The Lakers are now 26-19 and trying to improve their roster ahead of the Feb. 6 trade deadline and were dealt a blow when star Anthony Davis suffered an abdominal strain and missed most of Tuesday’s game.
If Davis is forced to miss any time, the Lakers will be in dire straits as their roster is not built to handle any sort of time missed by their star center or LeBron.
They next face the Wizards on Friday, followed by the Knicks on Saturday in another back-to-back.
