The Los Angeles Lakers have decided that Bronny James will play in G-League home games but will not travel with the team during road teams. Instead, it looks like James will be with the Lakers during road games, which doesn't seem like a good idea, according to Brian Windhorst on the Hoop Collective.
“I’m going to apply the brakes on my everything is fine on the Bronny front with this thing that’s now happening. Which is that from my understanding he's only going to play in the South Bay Lakers home games, that he's only gonna kind of be a part-time G-League player, and he's not getting on United Airlines and going to fly and go play in these road games now,” Windhorst said. “I know he was getting so much special treatment and nepotism, and that's fine honestly, I don't care.
“Like I said, it's normal. Now, I think it's actually detrimental to him. I don't know whose idea it was obviously the Lakers are fine with it they're doing it. On this particular instance, I think that's gone too far and I don't think that benefits Bronny, I don't think it benefits the South Bay Lakers, and I don't think it benefits LeBron at that point. I think it'd be much better if Bronny was a more developed player by February or March by playing in G-League road games.”
James could highly benefit from playing with the South Bay Lakers, but him only playing part-time could slow his development.
Should Bronny James spend more time in the G-League?
In Bronny James' G-League debut, he finished with six points, four assists, and three rebounds, and he showed that he is still a work in progress. He has continued to get critiqued, and recently, Gilbert Arenas shared his thoughts on James, saying that he has been too passive.
“The problem with Bronny James’ game is he’s not aggressive, and when you’re not looking to score, it becomes a problem,” Arenas said on his show. “When you’re looking to make passes, you miss everything – right, if you just be ultra-aggressive, like I’m looking to score, you stop me, then I make a pass. But if you sit here trying to make a pass and rim is right here and then it becomes an oh s**t [moment]… it becomes a harder game.”
James would be able to work on that part of his game if he continues to spend time in the G-League. If he's with the Lakers most of the time, he won't get many minutes unless it's towards the end of the game. The best thing for his development is going to the G-League and getting as many reps as he can.