Bronny James was so bad Lakers abandoned having a backup PG with Collin Sexton out

Tyler Watts of Lake Show Life argues that the Los Angeles Lakers operated without a true backup point guard on opening night due to Bronny James struggling in preseason auditions. With Collin Sexton sidelined by a calf injury, head coach JJ Redick deployed a shortened nine-man rotation against the Golden State Warriors, relying on staggered minutes between Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves alongside Quentin Grimes off the bench.

Watts notes that James registered 11 points and 12 turnovers across five preseason appearances while shooting just 1-of-8 from 3-point range. He only appeared during fourth-quarter garbage time in the opener, leading the writer to conclude that the Lakers must acquire an additional creator before the trade deadline.