Development was the sole plan behind Bronny James‘ G League move. The LA Lakers wanted their rookie guard to refine his skills and come back stronger than ever. But if he plays only home games for the South Bay Lakers and does not go around for the road games, will the so-called “growth” even come into the picture for James Jr.? ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, who supported LA’s decisions about Bronny, now expresses concern over his situation.

Bronny James has played five NBA games, making history as the first father-son duo with LeBron. Recently, he scored 6 points on his G League debut. Initially, Windhorst supported Bronny’s No. 55 pick and the idea of the rookie playing alongside his father. However, now he disagrees with how the Lakers are managing Bronny.

Windhorst said on the Hoop Collective podcast: “He’s only going to play in the South Bay Lakers home games. That he’s only gonna kind of be a part-time G League player. He’s not getting on United Airlines and going to fly and go see these others play in these road games.” Windy says that the 20YO might be getting some special treatment and that’s normal.

But he added, “I think it’s actually detrimental to him, I don’t like that. I don’t know whose idea it was obviously the Lakers are fine with it. They’re doing it. I think that’s gone too far and I don’t think that benefits Bronny, I don’t think it benefits the South Bay Lakers and I don’t think it benefits LeBron at that point.”

The plan may have “gone too far” according to the NBA insider. Bronny James’ part-time role for the South Bay Lakers isn’t going to benefit anyone. Not LA Lakers, not LeBron James, and definitely not Bronny. Maybe Jeanie Buss and Co. should throw the idea of the rookie’s growth out of the window if they want to limit his role to only the home games.

What can be done if Bronny James’ growth is the primary goal?

Well, Brian Windhorst has a suggestion for the Laker franchise. “I think it’d be much better if Bronny was a more developed player by February or March by playing in G League Road games.” He suggests the organization must let the guard play in the Road games. Simply put: Do not limit Bronny James to G League home games. Thus, the 20-year-old will get more floor minutes. In return, it will help him hone his skills and score more points.

Besides, the better Bronny James becomes at the game, the quicker he can silence his critics. The USC alumna has been under fire for the longest time. So, more games and more growth would be necessary if the Lakers want LeBron‘s firstborn to be somewhat out of his dad’s shadow.

Meanwhile, Bronny made his G League debut last Saturday against the Salt Lake City Stars. He played 31 minutes, scoring six points on 2-of-9 shooting. However, he missed all four of his three-point attempts. The 6-foot-2 guard also had three rebounds, four assists, two steals, and one block. And he did it all in the presence of his family and Anthony Davis in attendance.

Therefore, if the Lakers truly aim for Bronny James’ growth, limiting him to just home games in the G League won’t help. Playing in the road games would provide Bronny with more minutes and opportunities to develop. This would not only benefit his skill set but also help him step out of LeBron’s canopy. For Bronny to reach his potential, the Lakers must give him more exposure and experience on the court.