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Retired Los Angeles Lakers star Metta World Peace doesn’t believe Bronny James is “underachieving” in his first season in the NBA.
World Peace told TMZ Sports he isn’t worried about James’ start in the Association and believes competing in the NBA G League will be beneficial for the young guard.
“The G League is a great platform. So many great players and some maybe even future Hall of Famers came out of the G League,” he said. “… He’s a rookie and rookies play in the G League. I think it’s a good thing.”
There won’t be much argument from sensible basketball fans that James is best served plying his trade primarily in the G League right now. Simply put, he doesn’t look like an NBA player yet. In 16 total NBA minutes with the Lakers, he has four points on 1-of-6 shooting and two assists.
The 20-year-old wasn’t all that inspiring in his G League debut, either. He finished with six points, three rebounds, four assists and five turnovers in the South Bay Lakers’ 110-96 win over the Salt Lake City Stars on Nov. 9.
More than his stint in the G League, the extent to which James is poised to rotate between Los Angeles and South Bay is drawing the criticism.
James will reportedly suit up only in home games in the G League, which is a puzzling choice when he clearly needs in-game reps to continue developing. It only furthers the perception he’s getting preferential treatment thanks to being the son of LeBron James.
Perhaps James’ usage will evolve as the 2024-25 season unfolds.
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