Has Los Angeles Lakers rookie Bronny James hit a major snag early on in his NBA journey? As per Lakers insider Mike Trudell, the 19-year-old missed his second Summer League game against the Golden State Warriors due to a “trace swelling” in his knee. The management held him back to avoid a serious injury during a back-to-back scenario. Trudell also reported that the Lakers expect him to play for the Wednesday game against China. However, Skip Bayless believes that despite such reports, Bronny’s knee swelling could be a sign of a long-term issue.
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Bayless highlighted Bronny’s injury issue when he was discussing his Summer League debut against the Sacramento Kings. Since the veteran reporter has had chronic knee issues himself, he was unconvinced that Bronny’s knee swelling would completely heal by Wednesday. On the contrary, the 72-year-old posited that it could be something more serious, a lingering issue.
“If you have swelling, you have some issue going on, it’s not simple or minor. I was a little surprised that they said there was some swelling…but then, ‘Oh, he should be fine by Wednesday.’ Well, if you got some swelling, I don’t think you’re gonna be ‘fine’ fine by Wednesday. It could be an ongoing issue for a little while depending on what it is or why it is.”
The FS1 host was unsure about the extent of Bronny’s injury because the 19-year-old showcased smooth movements in his debut, and didn’t appear to be hurt. While he had a struggling 2/9 shooting night, Bayless liked the fact that he was confident to pull the trigger despite the misses.
Bayless also lauded Bronny’s defensive effort, predicting that he can become a serviceable defender at the NBA-level. He added,
“I liked his attitude because he wasn’t bashful about shooting the ball… By the second half, he was really getting into the flow of it.. Defensively, he is going to be pretty to very good.”
.@RealSkipBayless weighs in on Bronny James’ Summer League debut and swollen knee: pic.twitter.com/GvuQ2Rqsl4
— The Facility (@TheFacilityFS1) July 8, 2024
Additionally, he addressed the trolling received by Bronny after the Kings’ Summer League guard Adonis Arms broke his ankles. Bayless argued that Arms is a seasoned Summer League player with G-League experience, thus handling someone like that won’t be easy for a rookie like Bronny.
Overall, Skip seemed satisfied with what he saw from Bronny James in his SL debut. His comments are not surprising because he has backed Bronny ever since he has declared for the NBA draft. However, fans wouldn’t be happy with Bayless’ prediction about the newly drafted Lakers star’s knee issue.
