Will Bronny James start for the Lakers? How Austin Reaves, Luka Doncic injuries impacts LeBron James’ son’s playing time
· Yahoo Sports
Will Bronny James start for the Lakers? How Austin Reaves, Luka Doncic injuries impacts LeBron James’ son’s playing time originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Lakers are in crisis, having seen two of its greatest talents -- Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves -- land in the treatment room with injuries to their hamstring and oblique, respectively.
Visit casino-promo.biz for more information.
There's never a good time for injuries. But Doncic and Reaves' ailments are especially untimely at this time of the year for a Los Angeles roster that hoped to contend for a Western Conference Finals appearance -- if not more.
With Doncic and Reaves out of commission, Lakers head coach JJ Redick will have to get creative. How does one replace their level of production in-house? Some have queried that Redick could turn to a famous name to help Los Angeles get back on track: Bronny James.
With that, here's how Doncic and Reaves' injuries could affect James' minutes.
SN's NBA HQ: Live NBA scores | Updated NBA standings | Full NBA schedule
Will Bronny James start for Lakers?
With Reaves and Doncic wrapped in gauze, the question remains: will James ascend to the starting lineup in the coming few weeks?
As of April 5, James has two starts in his illustrious career. He stands to see increasingly more minutes with Reaves, Doncic and Smart sidelined. That might not be reflected in his start totals, however.
The Lakers hold just a half game advantage over the Nuggets for third-place in the Western Conference. They haven't shown a desire to give James opportunities for much of his two-year career. It's hard to imagine they'll show enough faith to offer him starts in the stretch run.
Expect Redick to put the ball in LeBron James' hands with Doncic and Reaves away. Luke Kennard will likely slot into the two-guard spot, while Rui Hachimura figures to rise to the starting five in Doncic's absence. Jake LaRavia and Deandre Ayton are likely to round out the starting five.
MORE: How Luka Doncic’s hamstring injury impacts Lakers playoff picture
How many games has Bronny James started?
As of April 2, James has tallied just two starts in his career. He started the final game of the 2024-25 season. He also landed a start in the Lakers' Nov. 15 duel with the Bucks. He played just 10 minutes in that contest, so a start doesn't necessarily mean James will get starter minutes.
Lakers guard depth chart
Kennard is the likeliest guard to leap into the starting lineup as the season nears its crescendo. Smart, too, should earn some shine -- particularly once he returns from his ankle injury.
PGSGLuke KennardMarcus Smart - OUTBronny JamesLuke KennardKobe BufkinJake LaRaviaMarcus Smart - OUTDalton KnechtNick Smith Jr.Bronny JamesMORE:What did LeBron James say about the city of Memphis?
Bronny James season stats
Here's a look at James' numbers in his second season in Tinseltown.
- 37 games
- 2.4 points per game
- 0.5 rebounds per game
- 1.1 assists per game
- 0.3 steals per game
- 0.1 blocks per game
- 0.5 turnovers per game
- 39.1 percent field goal shooting
- 37.5 percent 3-point shooting
- 85.7 percent free throw shooting