Bronny James didn’t look ready for the NBA after averaging just 4.8 points per game on 36.6 percent shooting in his lone year at USC. He didn’t look ready during the Las Vegas Summer League, where he averaged 8.8 points on 35.0 percent shooting. 

It shouldn’t be much of a surprise then that Bronny is struggling badly through his first three preseason games with the Lakers.

In just under 12 minutes per game, Bronny is averaging less than a point. He has hit just one of his 11 field goal attempts. Bronny had a cool moment to share the floor with LeBron and will get another during the Lakers’ first regular-season game, but he clearly isn’t an NBA-caliber player yet.

Here’s what we’ve seen from Bronny thus far. 

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Why Bronny James has been NBA’s worst player in preseason

Bronny James is struggling to score

Bronny’s ideal role in the NBA is as a 3-and-D player who can also do some secondary playmaking in a pinch. He’s compared himself to guards like Derrick White, Jrue Holiday and Davion Mitchell. 

The issue with that comparison is that Bronny hasn’t shown the ability to hit the 3 consistently. He’s been good in drills, but when it comes to actual games, he’s 0-4 from deep in the preseason. He hit just 3-of-19 in the Las Vegas Summer League and 16-of-60 in college, so this has been an ongoing issue.

Bronny’s finishing at the rim has been problematic, too. His 40.5-inch vertical was one of the best at the draft combine, but at 6 feet, 1.5 inches without shoes, he’s had trouble finishing over bigger defenders in preseason. 

Bronny hasn’t had the touch on his floater to avoid those big men. His one make around the basket came against a mediocre contest in the final minute with the Lakers facing a 20-point deficit. 

Bronny’s playmaking has also been bad. He’s recorded one assist, a basic pass to the corner in transition. He’s turned the ball over five times. Those have included two lazy passes, one of which was on a basic inbound. He’s gotten his dribble picked in the backcourt, traveled and set an illegal screen.

All of those mistakes have come in under 36 minutes of total play, which is a concern. 

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Bronny James has had some good defensive plays

As rough as Bronny’s offense has been, he has shown some defensive potential. He’s had three blocks so far, showing why that White defensive comparison makes some sense. 

Bronny has been good at moving his feet and staying in front of his man. He was great at that in Summer League.

Bronny earned praise from a great defender in Anthony Davis on Spectrum SportsNet’s postgame show.

“He’s tough,” Davis said. “Obviously, he’s defensive-minded, some great blocks. And the physicality he gets over screens. He’s good with his hands with deflections and steals.” 

“He’s also still learning,” Davis continued. “He’s still trying to figure everything out. We have to realize that.”

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Bronny James looks mostly lost on the floor

Aside from his traditional box score stats, which are damning, Bronny simply hasn’t contributed much of anything on the floor.

The Lakers have been outscored by 40 points in his 36 minutes, giving him the worst plus/minus of the 494 NBA players to log preseason minutes thus far. 

That horrendous plus/minus isn’t totally on him. He’s been sharing minutes with other young players who haven’t done much. But he has been a contributing factor to the team having a 1-2 record by shooting them out of games and making too many mistakes. 

That is of course what preseason is for. The fact that he’s making mistakes isn’t a big deal. It will be during the regular season, though, which is why Bronny is destined to play a lot in the G League.

Bronny is a talented prospect who had a first-round grade coming out of high school and performed well in draft combine drills. The fact that he’s struggled in the preseason doesn’t preclude him from one day becoming a good NBA player. But he clearly is not ready for the league yet.