The tides finally change for Bronny James. Constantly surrounded by criticisms, the Lakers rookie found himself a place in the starting lineup for the last preseason game against the Warriors. It seemed like a battleground within the LA roster, as the young guns put up a show to secure a spot in the rotation. Not to forget that it was a one-sided affair, as the Dubs consistently maintained a 30-point lead throughout the game. However, James Jr.’s expected rise was the highlight, at the same time, it put a sophomore player in darkness.

Up until the start of the fourth quarter, Bronny scored 15 points with 7-15 FG, which also included 2 steals and a block. On the other hand, Jalen Hood-Schifino, who is gearing up to play a second year as a Laker, started the game as a point guard. He put up 6 points with 3-10 FG, triggering fans’ wrath. In response to Bronny’s rise from ashes, Hood-Schifino paid the price, as a fan wrote, “what’s JHS purpose on this team man ship him tf outta here.” 

Before the game could even end, fans wrote off Jalen Hood-Schifino. The 21-year-old shooting guard finished the game with 6 points and 7 assists. Meanwhile, Bronny James completed the game with 17 points, 4 rebounds, 3 steals and a block. And the rising star’s fans, who kept quiet throughout the last five games, finally had their voices heard. Let’s look into some of the interesting reactions.

Fans hail Bronny James on his breakout game

Many fans have eased the steam off their engine following Bronny’s game tonight. The 20-year-old constantly faced brutal criticisms for not living up to their expectations. It’s quite unfortunate to expect a ROTY performance from a 55th pick. Nevertheless, Bronny gave his replies to the naysayers with his 17-point outing. And the fans were over the moon. A fan, speaking for the entire James Jr. fandom, wrote, “This the man y’all been calling a bust..? A bust wouldn’t be able to score 17 in an NBA game.” 

In the last 5 games, Bronny barely had minutes against his name, as Coach JJ Redick had plenty of options to test before throwing in a dime to James Jr. But, he proved that he belonged in the league. Notably, the young gun proved he deserved the spot more than his peers, as per some fans.

Jalen Hood-Schifino came into the Lakers fold as the 17th overall pick in the 2023 draft and played 21 games, averaging 1.6 ppg in 5-odd minutes. It’s clearly evident that the team didn’t capitalize on their rookie, considering this season’s 17th overall pick, Dalton Knecht. The Tennessee player put on a great show in his last outing, scoring 20 straight points in the Lakers’ overtime win over the Suns. On the other hand, Schifino is still struggling to find his footing on the side and the fans ended by comparing him to the 55th pick. Clearly, James Jr. has won the debate.

Above all, some fans expect him to grow into an even better player in the coming months. A fan wrote, “Slowly but surely he will wreak havoc on the league.” Maybe too early to label him as a threat in the league, but he sure did show his potential to the world. So, it’s going to be an upward arc from here on. What do you think? Let us know in the comments below.

Before leaving, do watch the Dual Threat Show hosted by BG12 where Bulldogs’ Asia Avinger details her experience with Kobe Bryant, her WNBA ROTY picks, and more in the video below.