National Basketball Association

Bronny James has his best performance yet, scoring 12 points against the Hawks

Updated Jul. 18, 2024 6:52 p.m. ET

Bronny James had his best performance yet during the Lakers' first summer league win, beating the Atlanta Hawks 87-86. James scored 12 points, shooting 5-of-11 from the hardwood and 2-of-5 from beyond the three-point arch.

James had struggled to perform during the first three games of the Lakers' summer league, with an average of 4.3 points and a 22.6% field-goal percentage, while failing to make 15 of his 3-point attempts.

James was selected as the 55th overall draft pick by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2024 NBA draft, making headlines as he joins his father, basketball legend LeBron James, on the court. Bronny has faced immense pressure to live up to his father's legacy. Many basketball followers have voiced their opinion that Bronny is not ready to be in the NBA, but his performance against the Hawks is a step toward proving his doubters wrong.

Skip Bayless praised Bronny's performance on Undisputed, saying that "he looked like he belonged out there."

Bronny hits first 3, finishes with 12 points in Lakers Summer League win vs. Hawks | Undisputed

"I tweeted during halftime that I finally saw a basketball player. He looked like he belonged out there and that he was comfortable in his own skin. The first four games, I wasn't sure about that," Bayless said.

Bayless voiced the importance of Bronny creating his own name for himself, without the constant reminder that he is LeBron James' son. And Bayless believes he did that last night.

"[Bronny] agreed to be mic'd up for ESPN. That showed me he was comfortable enough to come out and be Bronny, not LeBron James Jr., because that hangs over his head. Forget about the last name, he's just Bronny," Bayless said. "We got to hear him on the bench, hear him in the huddles, hear him calling out some defensive strategies on the floor. He's more comfortable, more outgoing. … Every time I read a quote from any of his teammates, they all say they love being around him because he is fun to be around, and the fun started to leak into his basketball playing last night."

Bayless believes that Bronny just needs more playing time to reach his fullest potential.

"In the fourth quarter last night, he played a grand total of 5 minutes and 26 seconds. That's wrong. That is absurd to me. And I don't get the point. He just needs reps, he needs dribbles and possessions and to play basketball," Bayless said.

Co-host of Undisputed Paul Pierce agrees with Bayless, adding that Bronny is beginning to play with confidence.

"Usually, when you are in a little slump, you get kind of hesitant, and the one thing I did say is you got to get your confidence going. I don't care if you are going to miss your next hundred shots, take them," Pierce said. "You can't shy away from what's going on, the media attention, it's gonna be what it's gonna be. Just go out there and play with confidence, because that is what summer league is all about."

Pierce argues that sometimes it only takes making one shot to get a basketball player out of their slump. Now that he has seen what Bronny is capable of, he is eager to see what more he has in store.

"I had nights where I couldn't throw a rock in the ocean, then I just got a free throw and I had just seen the ball go in one time, and that can get you going. Hopefully, this is something he can build on," Pierce said. "I'd like to see a little more in the rebounding category, maybe make some plays and get some assists."

Keyshawn Johnson agreed, predicting that his performance will continue to get better.

"It's encouraging to see. I was a fan. I'm happy because I saw what I wanted to see. I wanted to see a basketball player. Make me believe you can actually play. And that happened for me yesterday," Johnson said.

Colin Cowherd took a different stance on Bronny's performance. On "The Herd," he said that Bronny shouldn't be expected to have a starting NBA position, but he is a G League player that has the athleticism to work his way up as a defensive player.

"For the record, Bronny James has struggled offensively in the summer league. But the No. 2 pick in the draft, on Tuesday, went 0 for 15 on the floor, Alex Sarr, with several air balls," Herd said.

"Let's take the player that was drafted right before Bronny and right after. The 54th pick, Anton Watson, is with the Celtics. He's had a good summer league. 10 points, five rebounds. … But he will be a G Leaguer. The player drafted right after [Bronny] is hurt, so let's go to the 57th pick, Ulrich Chomche, who has averaged four points a game. He is viewed very raw, as a G Leaguer. So Bronny James … is averaging about four to five points a game. And selling a bunch of merch. Is it the end of the world?"

Cowherd believes that everyone around Bronny is in the same boat: They aren't basketball protégés, but good G League players. Bronny's biggest issue isn't his shooting ability, but the fact that he isn't a pure point guard.

"The bigger issue for him is that he is a 6'1 ½ player and is clearly not a pure point guard. Totally limiting his career. He is at best, to me, a middle-to-back-end of the rotation defensive player. That's it," Herd said. "He's 6'1 ½ and the Lakers don't trust him to bring the ball up the floor. Maybe they will eventually. But at some point, you have to be a point guard at 6'1 ½. Maybe a defensive point guard, but you got to be a point guard. "

"It's as if the critics are insisting the Lakers took him as a lottery pick and are demanding he start at point guard. He's got hops, he's got some length, he's quick, he's athletic, he will be a defensive player," Cowherd said.

Cowherd finds no surprise in Bronny's performance — he is playing how he was expected to play.

"In this draft, he has been basically what we were told he would be. Limited offensively, good defensive player, and a project. … If he can defend the point on a basketball team that's got scores at the 2, 3, 4 and 5, then he's got a shot, to be a back end of the bench, project, G Leaguer — maybe, at some point, a rotational NBA player."

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