"Nobody's going to believe that's on his merits" - Stephen A. Smith expects Bronny James to cop brickbats if he plays too much in rookie season
Despite being the 55th pick in the draft, Bronny James has been one of the most talked about prospects at NBA Summer League. Following a rocky start to his pro career, one analyst shared his thoughts on the second-generation player.
As expected, nepotism has been brought up regularly when it comes to Bronny. After having a lackluster season in college, many believe he only got drafted a received a decent contract because of who his father is.
During a recent episode of his podcast, Stephen A. Smith touched on Bronny James' performance in Summer League. He feels his work should be done behind the scenes away from cameras and the media.
"All I'm gonna say is that, unless there's vast improvement, the only time we better see him is sitting on the bench or in practice," Stephen A. said. "Becaue if he's out there on the basketball court, nobody is going to believe that's on his merits."
Through three games in the Las Vegas Summer League, Bronny is averaging 7.3 points, 3.0 rebounds and 0.3 assists. He's struggled greatly from an efficiency standpoint, shooting 30% from the field and 12.5% from beyond the arc.
Bronny James keeping positive mindset amid Summer League struggles
Even though things have not gone how Bronny James might have hoped, he is keeping himself in the right frame of mind. Coming off what has been his best performance in Summer League, the son of the LA Lakers star touched on having a short memory.
On Wednesday night, the Lakers faced off against the Atlanta Hawks. They were shorthanded in this matchup, as No. 1 pick Zaccharie Risacher did not suit up.
Bronny started for LA and logged 23 minutes while helping his team to an 87-86 win. He went on to end the night with 12 points and one steal on 5-for-11 shooting from the field.
During his postgame interview, Bronny James was asked about his early struggles in Summer League. He is trying to keep all that behind him and focus on improving his play moving forward.
"Just trying to forget about all the shots I've missed, forget about all the games we've lost," Bronny said. "Just come out and play my game and try to do my best every time I come on the court."
When Bronny first got drafted, it was clear he was going to be a long-term project. That said, if he can continue to show promising flashes like this, it might help silence some of the noise around him. Now with a good performance under his belt, Bronny's goal needs to be building momentum heading into his first year in the league.