LeBron James’ son Bronny James’ 0-point preseason performance could decide playing minutes in Lakers’ regular season

Bronny James played 11 minutes against the Warriors on Tuesday and did not score a single point. He missed both shots, turned the ball over four times and finished with a team-worst minus-18 in a 101-89 Lakers loss. It was his fourth preseason game of a third NBA season, and the numbers across all four look just as rough. Los Angeles also has 16 guaranteed contracts, one above the regular-season limit, so a move is coming before opening night. Coach JJ Redick has already said the 22-year-old has not played well in the four preseason games.Is Bronny James struggling in the NBA preseason?Yes, and Tuesday’s game made the case on its own. With Luka Doncic resting and Collin Sexton sidelined, Bronny James got the extra ball-handling minutes. He shot 0-for-2, grabbed one rebound, added one steal and committed four turnovers in 11 minutes. The Lakers held a double-digit lead at halftime, and James still posted the worst plus-minus on the roster.It was not a case of too few chances. James has played extended minutes in all four exhibition games. The one bright spot came against Sacramento last Thursday, when the guard put up 4 points, 4 rebounds, 6 assists and a steal in 22 minutes of a 114-110 win.Fans are worried about the Lakers guard. However, not everyone has given up on him. A league source who spoke with NBC Sports at Summer League offered a different read, saying “He might stick.” Preseason results swing hard in both directions, and the Lakers have yet to play game one of 82.What are Bronny James’ preseason stats?Through four games, Bronny James is averaging 2.8 points and 3.3 assists in 17.5 minutes a night. He is shooting 26.7% from the field and 14.3% from three, and he is giving the ball away 3.0 times per game.The climb from year one to year two was steady. His minutes went from 6.7 to 8.9, his scoring from 2.3 to 2.9 and his field goal rate from 31.3% to 40.9%. Over the two seasons combined he averaged 2.7 points on 37.4% shooting, with 0.4 steals and 0.1 blocks a game.The preseason has reversed the shooting gains. The $2.3 million guard is playing about twice as many minutes as he did in 2025-26, 17.5 against 8.9, yet his scoring is flat at 2.8 against 2.9. That works out to roughly 0.16 points a minute, down from about 0.33. The three-point shot has fallen furthest, from 38.6% to 14.3%. Assists are the one number moving the right way, up from 1.2 to 3.3, which fits a larger ball-handling role.What did JJ Redick say about Bronny James’ poor performance?Redick made his stance on Bronny James with a brutal remark. After the Warriors loss, the Lakers coach said, “I don’t think he has played well in the four preseason games.” He had kind words for the stretch before that, calling September and the summer really nice for James, and he added that “he’s had good practices.”He also pushed part of the blame outward. Some of it is rhythm, Redick said, and some of it is who James plays with. The guard has logged a lot of second-half minutes beside the team’s two-way players, and the coach said that group is not necessarily setting him up for success. The game backs that up in part. Los Angeles was in control while the regulars played, then lost the second half 51-26 once the reserves carried the load.Redick has listed James, Jaden Hardy and Chris Mañon as the three players who would handle the ball when either Doncic or Sexton is out. His explanation was short: “we need another ball-handler.” The coach has also said the Lakers cannot ask Doncic and Austin Reaves to carry ball-handling duties through an 82-game season. Those comments make the backup job a real one, and Tuesday was a live test of it.The night itself shows where the focus sat. Reaves scored 28, and Walker Kessler looked good in his preseason debut, yet most of the attention went to James.Both of Redick’s points can be true. Lineups and rhythm explain some of a poor shooting stretch. Turnovers are harder to hand to teammates, and James has 12 of them in four games, one more than the 11 points he has scored.What must Bronny James do to earn playing minutes?Cutting the turnovers comes first. James is a combo guard rather than a natural point guard, and his value has been as a two-way disruptor, but Redick’s own words show ball-handling is part of the job on nights Doncic or Sexton sits. He is competing with Hardy and Mañon for it.The three-point shot has to come back too. The gap from last season’s 38.6% is more than 24 points. Occasional defensive energy will not be enough on its own, and he should look sharper against fellow fringe-roster players, the way he did in the G League. California Post columnist Melissa Rohlin wrote Wednesday that James needs significant improvement to build his own identity and win a meaningful role.The roster math adds pressure. The Lakers hold 16 guaranteed standard contracts against a limit of 15, and president Rob Pelinka must trade or waive someone before the season starts. James, Hardy and Dalton Knecht have all come up in that talk, though nothing points to James as the preferred cut. His $2.3 million for 2026-27 is guaranteed, and the Lakers hold a $2.5 million team option for 2027-28. Friday’s preseason finale against Denver is the last exhibition chance to change the picture.Does LeBron James’ absence affect Bronny James?It appears to be. This is Bronny’s first season without LeBron on the roster after the move to Philadelphia. Last spring the two shared the floor in playoff minutes, mostly in the first-round series win over Houston.Dan Woike, answering a fan Q&A Thursday, said the Lakers knew drafting Bronny would make LeBron happy but have long liked his athleticism and length, and they have raved about his work ethic. “The belief in Bronny James the person/player is genuine,” Woike wrote. Belief only goes so far without production, and the argument for keeping James now rests on his own game. The Lakers open the regular season at home against Golden State on Wednesday.Stay updated with the latest Asian Games 2026 news, check the Asian Games medal tally and complete Asian Games schedule.Get the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.