Bronny James Injury Status Upgraded for G League Return

Los Angeles Lakers rookie guard Bronny James continues to deal with a nagging injury.

Oct 28, 2024; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Bronny James against the Phoenix Suns at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Los Angeles Lakers rookie point guard Bronny James has had a rough start to his NBA career.

James has struggled in the NBA and the G League; however, things just got a little worse for the rookie, as he has not played due to a left heel contusion.

The injury has been nagging for James, and because of that, he has been ruled out for the last handful of games, including the Lakers' Tuesday matchup against the Phoenix Suns.

James has appeared in the last handful of injury reports for the last week. He missed the South Bay Lakers' recent game on Sunday against the Stockton Kings. It is unclear how long he could be out.

The Lakers are on the road for a two-game road trip that begins Tuesday in Phoenix. They'll quickly turn on Wednesday to play the San Antonio Spurs.

Even if James were healthy enough to play, he likely wouldn't unless it was a blowout. James has only played in six games this season in the NBA, and he has yet to contribute significantly or get significant minutes.

In six games this season, he is averaging 0.7 points per game, 0.3 assists, 0.2 rebounds, and 0.2 steals while shooting 16.7 percent from the field and 2.7 minutes per game.

His time in the G League isn't any better. He's averaging 5.0 points, 2.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 1.5 steals in 28.5 minutes of action and two games played.

The Lakers' plan for Bronny is to only play him in home games for the South Bay Lakers. This constant in-and-out with the team certainly doesn't help the South Bay Lakers or Bronny's development.

The Lakers selected Bronny with the No. 55 pick in the second round of the 2024 NBA Draft. The hope was that he would eventually be a solid rotation or role player for the Lakers. To reach that level, he needs to play; at times, he does, and other times, he does not.

Bronny still has a lot of time to develop and become the player the Lakers envision him to be. But things do not look pretty as they stand, and this injury certainly doesn't help.

Although Bronny is one of the most popular players in the NBA, it certainly isn't due to his play on the court.

The first step for Bronny is to get healthy and possibly, eventually, make strides to being a better player.

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