Bronny James Continues to Struggle with Efficiency Issues

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Nick Wright | Last updated Dec 14, 2024 6:31 PM ET

While Bronny James' 16-point performance for the South Bay Lakers on Friday might look promising at first glance, the underlying statistics paint a more concerning picture. The rookie struggled mightily with efficiency, shooting just 30% from the field on a high volume of attempts (6-of-20). This shot selection and conversion rate raise questions about his offensive decision-making.

Even in Thursday's career-high 30-point outburst, closer inspection reveals some red flags. Though impressive for its total output, especially in limited minutes, the performance hasn't translated to consistent production. His season-long shooting percentage in the G League remains underwhelming at 37.7%, suggesting these scoring outbursts may be more anomaly than trend.

The raw numbers - 16 points, two rebounds, and two assists - might catch the eye, but the efficiency metrics tell a different story. In Friday's game, James needed 20 shot attempts to reach 16 points, a ratio that wouldn't be sustainable at the NBA level. While his aggression in attacking the paint is commendable, the low shooting percentage indicates he may be forcing shots rather than finding high-percentage opportunities.

For context, his G League averages of 14.4 points on 37.7% shooting demonstrate that even at this developmental level, James is still working to find consistent offensive efficiency. While his three-game streak of scoring 15+ points shows promise, the volume of shots required to reach these totals suggests there's significant room for improvement in his shot selection and offensive efficiency.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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