LA Lakers rookie Bronny James’ NBA career is off to a slow start. During the Summer League and through two preseason games, Bronny has struggled to put up good numbers, especially on the offensive side of the ball, and these struggles have at least one person bewildered.

Retired NBA center Kwame Brown does not seem to understand how Bronny could struggle this much. Brown expressed his confusion about the Lakers rookie’s underwhelming performance on the YouTube channel “Kwame Brown Bust Life.”

“Bronny’s performance last night, it was horrendous, like I just don’t understand,” Brown said. “He has a father who’s arguably one of the best players to play the game, but it shows he just got by on his athleticism, because his son doesn’t know the basic principles.” (0:20-0:46)

Not many expected Bronny James to be impactful immediately which is reflected in where he was drafted. As the 55th pick in the 2024 draft, the Lakers likely view him as a project who could become impactful later on when his game matures and he gets used to the pace in the NBA.

Looking at Bronny James’ performances in his first two preseason games

Bronny James got his first taste of NBA action when the LA Lakers faced the Minnesota Timberwolves on Oct. 4 in preseason action.

LeBron James and Anthony Davis did not play but D’Angelo Russell and Austin Reaves suited up. Meanwhile, Rudy Gobert, Mike Conley, Naz Reid and Donte DiVincenzo all played for the Wolves.

Bronny played 16 minutes off the bench. He shot 1-for-6 including one miss from downtown but made up for his offensive shortcomings with three blocks. The Lakers lost the game by 17 points (124-107).

Then, on Sunday (Oct. 6), the Lakers faced Kevin Durant and the Phoenix Suns. The Suns’ big three all saw action as both Devin Booker and Bradley Beal suited up.

LeBron and Davis were also both present for the Lakers, and this game marked the first time that LeBron and Bronny James shared the court in a professional capacity.

Bronny played off the bench for just a little over 13 minutes. He had only one shot attempt, a 3-pointer that missed its mark. He also ended up with four turnovers and three personal fouls. His only positive contribution on the stat sheet was two defensive rebounds. The Lakers fell to the Suns 118-114.

The Lakers have four more preseason games to look forward to, giving Bronny plenty more time to get used to playing against pros. Their next game will be against the Milwaukee Bucks on Oct. 10.

They’ll also face the Golden State Warriors twice; first on Oct. 15 and the second on Oct. 18. On the day (Oct. 17) between these two matchups with the Warriors, they’ll take on the Suns again for a preseason rematch.