Former Lakers champ Metta World Peace gives his verdict on Bronny James' NBA prospects
So far, Bronny James has struggled to find his rhythm on the court while playing for the LA Lakers. So far, throughout his first three games spanning the NBA's California Classic, and the NBA 2k25 Summer League, Bronny has struggled on the offensive end of the floor. While his play on the defensive end has shown promise, he has yet to make a three-pointer.
The way NBA veteran Ron Artest, also known as Metta World Peace, sees things, Bronny is still finding his rhythm, and there's no reason for fans to be worried despite his early struggles. While speaking with Sports Illustrated this week, he praised Bronny James for his defense.
At the same time, he also pointed out that as he continues to develop in the months to come, his stats are only going to improve.
"I think he's an NBA player. I don't know what, you know, everyone else is talking about. I see nothing but an NBA player. The other night he had a great stat line. I think it was three, three, five and four. And that's great. Keep getting better. And then those stat lines are gonna go up."
Despite the flashes of brilliance he's shown on defense, Bronny's offensive struggles continued on Friday night when the Lakers played the Houston Rockets.
"I'm in a little slump right now" - Bronny James opens up following third-straight Summer League game with no three-pointer
Following the NBA Draft, newly appointed coach JJ Redick and Lakers GM Rob Pelinka spoke about their hopes for Bronny James. As Redick explained, he's viewing Bronny as a developmental player who will need time to grow into his role as a 3 & D player.
In the case of Rob Pelinka, he expressed optimism that Bronny James could develop into a talented 3 & D player with time. The one problem so far has been Bronny's inability to knock down three-pointers.
Despite the Lakers getting him clean looks, Bronny James has gone 0-12 from downtown across three summer league games. While speaking to media members following LA's 99-80 loss to the Rockets, Bronny spoke openly about his struggles from downtown, as relayed by ESPN:
"I just feel like I'm in a little slump right now."
While fans have been concerned with Bronny's struggles, Lakers' summer league coach Dane Johnson seemed unfazed, brushing off the USC alum's early struggles.
For his part, Bronny explained after the game that he's open to developing in the G League, despite previous comments from Rich Paul indicating that he had no interest in seeing his client play in the G League.
Bronny and the Lakers will be back in action on Jul. 15 when they play their second of four games.