Lakers Report: Bronny is far from a rotation-level player, deliberately targeted by opponents in both games

On October 6th Beijing time, Lakers reporter Jovan Buha interacted with fans on a podcast and discussed Bronny's performance. Although Bronny made an impressive dunk today, Buha frankly stated that Bronny is still far from rotation-player caliber and has been intentionally targeted by opponents in both games.

Buha said, "In the first two preseason games, Bronny was repeatedly singled out by opponents. For example, against the Warriors, defenders would double-team him as early as midcourt, causing turnovers. It's clear he struggles with ball pressure, sometimes pulling the ball away too soon, eager to pass it off. While this shows his self-awareness, it also exposes real limitations."

“Based on his performances against the Suns and Warriors, I believe he’s still far from rotation-player level—that’s my biggest takeaway. He did well in the G League, showed flashes in garbage time late last season and summer league, but he can’t yet perform consistently in true NBA competition.”

Defense is a key foundation for Bronny trying to establish himself in the NBA, but Buha thinks even on defense, Bronny has many areas to improve.

“Especially against the Suns, his defense was really poor. Whether on-ball or off-ball, opponents easily broke past him. Simple cuts or pick-and-rolls exposed him, and his off-ball defensive awareness needs urgent improvement. On-ball, he often got ‘caught’ by screens. For instance, when he played alongside Knecht and Nick Smith, I was surprised Reddick didn’t lose his mind. Particularly against the Suns, these three’s defense was so weak that the Suns went on big scoring runs in single quarters, affecting the whole game’s momentum.”

“On offense, he played better against the Warriors than the Suns. Against the Suns, he sometimes had ‘preset offensive choices,’ like feeling ‘it’s been a while since I shot, I have to take one.’ While this confidence and intent are commendable, forcing shots is something he needs to work on. Actually, his passing instincts and basketball IQ are good, and he tries to do the right things, but he’s still learning NBA-level defensive positioning and techniques. Offensively, he also needs to balance ‘individual scoring’ with ‘team offense’ to avoid hurting the team by chasing personal stats.”

Finally, Buha said he still appreciates Bronny’s energy, athleticism, and competitive attitude—they are all solid—but he needs more training and film study to become more mature on both ends of the floor.