Bronny James played basketball last night, which means the critics are sharpening their knives once again. They had a field day during the Lakers’ first preseason game on Friday against the Suns, as Bronny had a miserable 1-12 day from the field. Last night’s game against the Warriors wasn’t nearly as bad, though, and it gave us a pretty sweet highlight that showcased Bronny’s easy athleticism.
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Even when people railed against the Lakers drafting Bronny as anything more than an act of nepotism last summer, they had to at least acknowledge that he had some of the tools required to be successful in the NBA. Unfortunately, Bronny didn’t have the experience to back it uo.
Bronny started slowly last year, but he mostly played well in the G League, which helped him earn some minutes in JJ Redick’s rotation as a 3-and-D wing. Now entering his sophomore season, he’s hoping to build on that and become a mainstay. Plays like this will certainly help.
Bronny James gets UP for this putback slam ‼️
He finds an opening and punches it home with one hand! pic.twitter.com/Uo7ok7FWCK
— NBA (@NBA) October 6, 2025
That putback was smooth as silk, and it’s the perfect encapsulation of what Bronny can bring to a team that features his 40-year-old dad and the newly arrived Deandre Ayton. The Lakers could use some athleticism, and Bronny has that.
Dalton Knecht, Bronny’s fellow Class of 2024 draftee, was asked about the dunk after the game. “It was fire,” he said. “Bronny’s my guy. I’ve seen that multiple times, so I’m not too impressed.”
All the focus on the Lakers this year is on what the team will look like now that a slimmed-down Luka Doncic has had an entire offseason to bear the weight of being the face of the franchise. LeBron isn’t getting any younger, but he’s still a top-15 player in the league, so Lakers fans are hoping that he and Luka will be able to make a run together, especially now that they have a real center in Ayton to play with.
Bronny and Knecht aren’t exactly top of mind for Lakers fans, but their roles could be critically important if the team hopes to be a real contender. Knecht had some flashes earlier last season but was mostly a non-factor late, while Bronny came on as the season progressed. If those two can provide a spark off the bench, it could be the difference between a top-3 seed and fighting to stay out of the play-in.
LeBro and Luka have yet to play this preseason, which has allowed Redick to see what he has on the lower end of the roster. Knecht and Bronny were a combined 5-17 from the floor last night. That’s much better than the 3-22 clunker they put up against the Suns, but they’ll still need to be much better than 29% to earn some real playing time.
