The Los Angeles Lakers have suffered another defeat in their preseason campaign, as they continue to struggle to find their identity under new head coach JJ Redick. With only a week remaining before the regular season begins, LeBron James‘ performance against the Golden State Warriors has been summed up by some as “chilling”. While many of the starters have been resting during preseason, the Lakers are running out of time to define who they want to be.

JJ Redick is the kind of coach who emphasizes the process rather than results. His team has focused on finding and taking smart three-point shots. Aside from Anthony Davis’ 24 points, the Lakers’ stars contributed little due to limited playing time.

“LeBron was chilling today,” 5-time NBA champ with the Lakers Derek Fisher said. “You don’t have to sugarcoat that at all: he was working on his conditioning. He played 23 minutes. He didn’t try to exert himself in the way of like taking control at any point of the game”. Even Lakers’ announcer Bill McDonald said LeBron stood like a “traffic cone” when Stephen Curry dribbled past him to score.

The Warriors capitalized on the Lakers’ absence of an athletic point-of-attack defender, while their defense effectively slowed down ‘King James’. The NBA’s all-time leading scorer ended the night with just six points, shooting 3-of-9 from the field, along with two rebounds, four assists, and three turnovers, resulting in a subdued performance in Las Vegas. However, Fischer suggests that LeBron’s “chilling” performance may not have been intentional.

Fischer partially agreed with the speculation surrounding LeBron’s approach, saying, “In a sense, for sure. I think it fits the box of, you know, continuing to manage himself from a health standpoint and an energy standpoint.” However, he strongly believes the Lakers shouldn’t waste this time. Instead, the team must evaluate other players, emphasizing that LeBron’s decision to step back during the preseason allows them to see “if this guy is going to be good in pick and roll or not” and determine “whether he can handle significant minutes.” Fischer also noted that it’s difficult to fully assess the Lakers’ potential until LeBron and Anthony Davis are playing full minutes and actively pushing to win games.

Hopefully, the ‘King’ can get the better of  ‘Chef’ when the Lakers face the Warriors for a second time this week on Friday. For that to happen, LeBron will need to step up and deliver a stronger performance, Bronny too.

“Numbers could be better” – What Bronny James thinks about his performance

Steph Curry just went head-to-head with the next generation of his rival, which, admittedly, sounds surreal. Bronny James didn’t even enter the game until the fourth quarter. However, the crowd lit up as soon as he stepped on the court. In this brief appearance, he shared the floor with Curry and Draymond Green, who even took turns guarding LeBron’s heir. At one point, Bronny found himself guarding Curry—a moment no one could have predicted back in 2016-2017 when Curry and LeBron’s rivalry was at its peak. Who would’ve imagined then that Curry would one day face LeBron’s son?

The 55th 2nd round pick was only given 9 minutes of play time. During the time, Bronny only made 1 out of his 5 shots. 2 points, one rebound, and one block is all Bronny could do in the match. “Going out there and getting reps. I feel like it’s the most important thing right now … Grow my confidence and be more comfortable when I’m out there playing. Cause’ I feel good, but the numbers could be better,” Bronny said after the game.

Bronny had a similar start in the G League, putting up poor shooting numbers. But with regular playing time, his shooting picked up. However, overall it was a lackluster performance for both the members of the James family. Bronny still has two more games to find his rhythm in the preseason after which he might go to the G League.