Los Angeles Lakers rookie Bronny James is not having the best NBA preseason. James is struggling to get the ball in the basket. He has a plan, however, on how to fix it as he gets more experience.
Bronny James on his preseason so far: “I feel good. The numbers could be better. I just got to get my confidence up” pic.twitter.com/wfPGXGsJhp
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) October 15, 2024
“I want to grow my confidence and be more comfortable when I'm out there playing,” James said to reporters, per ESPN. “I just got to get my confidence up.”
James is fighting for a spot in the Lakers rotation this season. The rookie, who spent one year at USC, didn't light the world on fire with his offense in college either. He averaged just 4.8 points per game with the Trojans, and missed most of the season due to a medical issue.
The rookie was selected as the 55th overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. His next chance to hit some shots will be on Tuesday, as his team takes on the Golden State Warriors in preseason action.
Lakers face pressure to have a great 2024-25 season





Los Angeles finished the 2023-24 season with disappointment, after struggling in the postseason. The Lakers lost in the playoffs to the Denver Nuggets.
The team drafted James in the second round of the NBA Draft. He and his father LeBron James are the first father and son duo to play together on the floor at the same time, for the same team, in league history. Bronny will have to start clicking offensively in order to stay on the team's roster. He's in danger of having to go to the G League for the upcoming campaign.
Bronny is in danger mostly because of his performances this NBA preseason. He hasn't scored at all in his last two game appearances, against the Milwaukee Bucks and Phoenix Suns. He's averaging about 12 minutes a game in three appearances for the Lakers. Bronny's plus-minus on the floor is also lagging; he's got a plus-minus of -13 so far this preseason.
The rookie's field goal percentage is at a mere 9 percent. That's clearly an area where his team needs him to improve moving forward.
“I feel good. The numbers could be better but I got to get my confidence up,” Bronny added. “It's a totally different game, especially out in arenas like this, the atmosphere and stuff like that.”
The Lakers start their season on October 22 against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Time will tell how many minutes Bronny will be able to see on the floor when things get going.