Redick Says Bronny James Has Struggled in Preseason

Los Angeles Lakers coach JJ Redick said Bronny James has not played well in the team’s first four preseason games, while noting that James has practiced well and that his on-court rhythm and lineups may be factors. Redick made the comments after the Lakers lost 101-89 to the Golden State Warriors on October 13 in Las Vegas. James, 22, went scoreless in 11 minutes against Golden State, missing both field-goal attempts and committing four turnovers. Redick said James had spent substantial second-half minutes playing alongside two-way players and had shared the floor with newcomer Rafael Castro, who had been with the Lakers for three days. Redick said the groups James played with were not necessarily setting him up for success. The coach also praised James’s work in practice and his September preparation. His comments addressed the four-game preseason sample, rather than a full regular-season evaluation. The available reporting gives different point and minutes averages for James over those four games, so those season-to-date figures are not included here. The Lakers’ loss followed a strong first half: they led 63-50 at the break, then were outscored 51-26 after halftime.