Bronny James’ 4-point outing in Lakers finale has fans revealing mixed opinions: “Better game than curry”

Los Angeles Lakers star Bronny James had a chance to finish his rookie season on a high note against the Portland Trail Blazers.

Bronny James’ 4-point outing in Lakers finale has fans revealing mixed opinions: “Better game than curry”

Bronny James struggled offensively in the last regular season game for the Los Angeles Lakers

Bronny James has come a long way in his first season in the NBA. From being doubted by anyone and everyone, to be trolled for taking away the place of a promising prospect, to being ridiculed for his early season performances, the Los Angeles Lakers rookie has been through it all.

Even his illustrious father, LeBron James, someone who has faced the bulk of criticisms throughout his career, could not understand how his older son was handling the pressure. But he has also witnessed how James Jr. has developed his game over time.

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The 20-year-old first balled out in the G League where his performances elevated his season average. That brought some respite among fans as now those who were cheering for the rookie had some evidence to get back at the critics.

Then his season-high performance against a stacked Milwaukee Bucks team had some such as Stephen A. Smith even walking back on his initial criticism. Fans finally felt Bronny James had proved that he deserved a place in the NBA.

He even matched Michael Jordan‘s rookie three-point made total playing garbage minutes. With one game left in the regular season, he could beat Jordan’s numbers if he played enough minutes. With third place tied up, head coach JJ Redick rested all his starters and handed James Jr. another start.

He played a total of 38 minutes, which should have been enough for him to score that one three-pointer to surpass Jordan. He attempted two, and neither went in. But even more embarrassingly, he ended up with just four points shooting 20% from the floor.

Fans saw both positives and negatives in Bronny James’ final rookie game

That shooting was awful even by Bronny James‘ standards. Had he connected with even 40%, he could have a higher total to at least match his effort in other areas of the game. The rookie notched six assists as the primary playmaker.

He also stole the ball four times, nearly outdoing the entire Los Angeles Lakers in the process. Fans had mixed feelings about this performance. On one hand he showed off his playmaking and defense. At the same time, fans believe his poor shooting was one of the reasons for the Lakers’ loss. Check out examples of those comments below.

Bronny James will have time in the offseason to further work on his game. But fans felt he could have finished his rookie season on a high note had his shots fallen through the net. The Lakers rookie still has a lot to work on his game if he has to become a valuable rotation piece.

James Jr. can use offseason to work on his scoring

Bronny James might look to rest for a while after his rookie season is over. But once that rest is over, the 20-year-old should look towards lining up workouts with top trainers. Be it Phil Handy, or any other elite coach, the youngster needs more lessons to keep developing.

He should also look to play in pickup games against other NBA veterans. Those games help in understanding the nuances of other players, while also helping him adjusting to that physicality. Some games at renowned basketball courts could also help his exposure and image.

JJ Redick wants the USC star to become a solid three and D star. James Jr. has already provided glimpses of it. But to excel in the NBA, one has to become consistent on a nightly basis. Else a team cannot justify pushing the player into crucial rotation situations.