Lakers fans give blunt verdict on Bronny James after 20-minute display against Portland

Follow us on Google Discover

On Monday night, the Portland Trail Blazers defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 122-108.

Austin Reaves stood out again with a strong showing, pouring in 41 points, but it was not enough to overcome a shorthanded line-up.

The Lakers were without LeBron James, Luka Doncic, Gabe Vincent, Marcus Smart and Jaxson Hayes in the rotation.

Bronny James saw extended playing time off the bench due to injuries but could not thrive.

Social media reaction followed quickly after the game, with many pointing out his lack of impact on both ends of the floor.

Fan reaction to Bronny James’ night against the Trail Blazers

Bronny James went scoreless in his 20 minutes on the floor against Portland, finishing with just three rebounds and three assists.

With so many players unavailable, JJ Redick did not have many options, but that did not stop fans from voicing their frustration over his extended run.

“I like Bronny as a person, but this isn’t an NBA player when he gets 20 minutes as a 6’0” shooting guard,” a fan wrote.

Another added: “Bronny James really played 20 minutes to not even score a single point.” While someone else posted on X: “Bronny James Jr went out there and proved all the haters right.”

The criticism continued, with one fan going as far as to say that the No. 9 “might be the worst basketball player he has ever witnessed.”

Another fan broke down what he saw as Bronny’s struggles, posting: “Things Bronny James is good at: falling down or nearly falling down while bringing the ball up court, turning the ball over, stepping out of bounds, getting blocked, missing shots, not finding open teammates, taking bad shots and missing rotations.

“Things he’s actually good at: Occasionally playing good one-on-one defense.”

Why Jake LaRavia’s form is a bigger issue for the Lakers than Bronny James

Bronny James did not have much of an impact against Portland, but the reality is, he will not see the court when the Lakers are back to full strength.

The bigger concern should be Jake LaRavia. He was brought in this summer to play a key role, and his form has not matched those expectations.

LaRavia joined on a two-year, $12 million deal, expected to bring shooting and defence off the bench.

But after 26 minutes as the starting shooting guard against Portland, he finished with just three points on six attempts.

• READ MORE: Stephen Curry urges Warriors’ young core to step up as veterans near end of their run

This season, LaRavia is averaging 6.3 points per game on 34.8 percent shooting – numbers that fall short of what the Lakers were hoping for when they signed him.