Lakers head coach JJ Redick was brutally honest in his assessment of Bronny James in the Lakers 118-104 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday night.
James Jr. played the most minutes in his Lakers career in last night’s loss, shooting 0-5 and recording one assist and three rebounds in 15 minutes. While the former USC guard has played well in the G League by averaging 16.3 points and recently dropping a 31-point performance for the South Bay Lakers, JJ Redick admitted that he may have put Bronny in a tough position in his post-game conference:
“Maybe put him in a tough spot. Flying up yesterday in a 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),” he said.
The No. 55 pick was called up following backup Gabe Vincent’s knee injury which kept him out of action for the past two games. In the first quarter, Redick put James Jr. on while the Lakers were up 17-9, and was a -9 in his first four minutes while turning the ball over once.
76ers point guard Tyrese Maxey had his way with the Lakers, scoring 43 points on the night.
“Just felt like on a back-to-back, just him giving us energy was the goal. I have confidence in him, but obviously didn’t provide that at a high level.”
James has played in 13 games for the Lakers this season with 0.3 points, 0.4 rebounds and 0.3 assists. While his defensive game is decent, he must improve his offensive skills further in the G League.
Despite the difficult night for Bronny, he said he has improved since his opening-night debut against the Minnesota Timberwolves, saying he feels ‘more prepared’ and stays ready for future call-ups.
With center Anthony Davis out, the Los Angeles Lakers will next play the Washington Wizards on Thursday.
