Skip Bayless Goes All-in On Bronny James, 'He's Not an NBA Player'

Ricardo Klein | Nov 20, 2024

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 guard Bronny James has been under the microscope for several years. The 20-year-old may not be the best basketball player, but when your father is LeBron James, arguably the greatest basketball player of all time, the criticism will be as loud as the coverage.

That happens to be the case with the national media, including long-time analyst and former sports writer Skip Bayless.

On his YouTube show, the Skip Bayless show, he goes all in on Bronny and even says that he is not an NBA player, at least not at the moment.

In the six-minute video below, Bayless discusses a variety of topics related to James, including how he has recently looked and what he expected of him when he first saw him on the scene in the 2022 McDonald's All-American game.

It's no secret that Bronny is far from being an NBA player at the moment. Most of his playing time has come in garbage time, and even then, he does not take advantage of the opportunity. In six NBA games this season, he has averaged 0.7 points per game, 0.2 rebounds, and 0.3 assists while shooting 16.7 percent in 2.7 minutes of action.

His numbers in the G League aren't any better. In two games this season, he has averaged 5.0 points per game, 2.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 3.0 turnovers., 1.0 steals and 1.0 blocks while shooting 21 percent from the field.

Bronny's struggles are nothing new, especially for a late second-round draft pick, but when you're the son of a famous and renowned basketball player, the criticism is just a little louder.

His struggles are evident, and they are an outlier among NBA-caliber prospects. Of the 60 players on two-way contracts who have played in the G League this season, only one averages fewer points per game than Bronny — 18-year-old Toronto Raptors center Ulrich Chomche, averaging 0.5 points less in 12 fewer minutes per game. 

Although Bronny has shown some promise, more on defense than offense, we have yet to see a long spurt or a game of what many believe he can become.

James was a No. 55 pick in the NBA draft for a reason, and although he belongs in the G League, the way the Lakers are handling it may not be best for his development.

L.A. is only having Bronny play in home games and is not traveling with the G League South Bay Lakers.

It's clear that James is not benefiting from this constant back-and-forth. If the Lakers genuinely want Bronny to develop, then L.A. must change their approach to him.