Bronny James finally made his preseason debut with the Los Angeles Lakers, but fans were left feeling underwhelmed by his offensive performance. The rookie struggled to find his rhythm and missed several shots. However, despite his poor performance, he came close to breaking a long-held record.
Playing against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Bronny had modest stats: he scored 2 points, grabbed 1 rebound, made 1 assist, and impressively blocked 3 shots in 16 minutes of play. Though Bronny struggled to score—making only 1 of his 6 shots—his defensive skills stood out. His 3 blocked shots tied him for the second-most blocks by a guard in an NBA preseason debut.
He was just one block away from the record set by Miami Heat star Dwyane Wade, who had 4 blocks in his first game back in 2003. This achievement shows that Bronny has strong defensive abilities at a young age. Lakers head coach JJ Redick shared his positive thoughts on Bronny’s performance. He mentioned that while Bronny is still learning how to play on offense, his defense is already making a difference.
Redick said, “He can do some things defensively at his size that are really unique and can turn into a really disruptive defender.” This shows the understanding that Bronny’s growth may take time, especially after his college season ended early due to a cardiac arrest incident.
Minnesota Timberwolves Dominate with Strong Performances While Los Angeles Lakers And Bronny James Struggle To Find Rhythm
The Timberwolves won the game decisively, 124-107. They started strong, quickly taking a 13-5 lead and taking advantage of the Lakers’ early struggles. Even though the Lakers tried to come back and got the score down to two points at one point, the Timberwolves regained control and finished the game strong.
The Timberwolves had several standout performances that led them to victory. Josh Minott led the team with 22 points and 8 rebounds, shooting very well at 9-of-11 from the field. Rookies Rob Dillingham and Terrance Shannon Jr. also stood out, scoring a combined total of 35 points. Dillingham contributed 21 points and made 4 assists, showing his talent early in his career. Donte DiVincenzo was perfect from three-point range, scoring 11 points by hitting all 3 of his three-point shots.
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The Lakers had some impressive moments, too. Austin Reaves was a key player, scoring 16 points, grabbing 5 rebounds, and providing 7 assists. Dalton Knecht made his preseason debut and matched Reaves with 16 points, also adding 3 rebounds and bringing energy off the bench. Max Christie played an important role as well, contributing 11 points and 7 rebounds while stepping up since LeBron James and Anthony Davis were not playing in this game.
Ultimately, Bronny James’s debut with the Lakers wasn’t exactly what fans hoped for, but his defensive efforts stood out. Though he faced challenges on offense, his three blocked shots show his potential. The Lakers move forward after the loss to the Timberwolves, hoping that, given time and experience, Bronny will develop into a key player for the team.
