Luka Doncic was given the night off as planned, but the Los Angeles Lakers couldn’t hold on without their superstar. JJ Redick’s team watched a 13-point halftime lead disappear as the Golden State Warriors stormed back to secure a 101-89 win. The collapse left the Lakers’ head coach disappointed with his secondary lineup. However, fans were quick to single out Bronny James after another difficult preseason outing.

During his postgame press conference, Redick was asked whether the Lakers’ lack of offensive organization explained Bronny James’ and Jaden Hardy’s struggles. The head coach stressed that the problem extends beyond just one LA player.

“I mean, again, it’s been a consistent theme,” Redick said. “We’ve talked to those guys. The reality is, again, if one of our three primary handlers are out, one of those guys [Bronny James, Jaden Hardy] has to, and Chris—I would throw Chris in there too; one of those guys is going to play.

“It’s too taxing with full-court pressure for AR and Luka to just do that solely. We’ll keep trying to get better. I know those guys, their intent is there. We’ll just keep it; whether it’s simplifying things for them, we’ve tried to simplify things tonight overall. It just was not a good offensive product in the second half. I’ll look at what I can do better with that too.”

JJ Redick did not single out Bronny when specifically addressing the Lakers’ second-half collapse. However, his comments made it clear that the team needs more from its secondary ball-handlers. The LA coach was also brutally candid in evaluating the 22-year-old’s performances, though he drew a nuanced distinction between what Bronny James has shown in practice and on the floor.

“I thought he had a really nice September and a good summer with us, I don’t think he’s played well in the four preseason games, but he’s had good practices,” Redick said. “Again, some of it is just rhythm, some of it is who he’s playing with, right? He’s played a lot of minutes, especially in the second half of games with our two big guys, and tonight he played with Rafael [Castro], who’s been with us for three days. So some of it is like the group he’s with, it’s not necessarily setting him up for success.”

With the roster deadline approaching, the 22-year-old guard has little time to make a convincing case for himself.

That’s why a fan wrote, “Bronny doesn’t have much longer.”

This sentiment stems from Bronny not playing in the first half against Golden State. When he finally entered during the fourth quarter, the Lakers held a narrow two-point lead. However, his first stint quickly became a problem. The young guard committed multiple turnovers before Redick briefly pulled him from the game.

Los Angeles eventually surrendered its advantage, and Bronny struggled to make a positive impact during his limited playing time. He finished with zero points, one rebound, and four turnovers in nearly 11 minutes. He also missed both of his field-goal attempts and recorded a team-worst minus-18 plus-minus.

Another netizen pointed to that fact and wrote, “That 4th quarter was proof that Bronny ain’t an NBA player lol.”

The numbers add to a difficult preseason for the third-year Lakers guard. Across four appearances, Bronny has averaged 2.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 3.3 assists in 17.5 minutes per game.

Based on the performance so far, another fan wrote, “Bronny looks bad this preseason, we might have to ship him off with his pops 🤷🏽‍♂️.”

There’s a certain sense of disappointment looming because Bronny spoke about having a clear game plan at multiple points during the offseason. Most notably, he wanted to improve his skills as a point guard and help organize the floor.

“I’ve been in the gym all summer working on fluidity and the speed of my release, stuff like that, moving,” James also told reporters. “Tied into that, just running a lot. I’m the same weight, 215 or 220-ish, but still slim so I can move fast. Just getting in the gym every day and continuing to keep a routine.”

Unfortunately, however, his preseason performances haven’t lived up to the hype. Looking at that, this fan has already delivered a clear message to LeBron James’ son. “If Bronny wants to stick in this league, he’s going to have to be able to control the offense in these minutes.”

Bronny’s struggles could not come at a worse time. The Lakers have 16 guaranteed contracts and must reduce their standard roster to 15 before the regular season begins.

That’s why another fan pointed out, “Bronny came in and we lost the lead 😂😭😂😭😂 This dude is not a real person.”

James Jr., Jaden Hardy and Dalton Knecht entered training camp competing for the final roster spots. With one preseason game remaining against the Denver Nuggets, the margin for error is shrinking. The Lakers open their 2026-27 regular season against Golden State on October 21.

Although fans seem to think Bronny James’ time with the Lakers is over, that does not mean the franchise has made a decision about the young guard. However, the combination of his preseason performances, the competition for roster spots, and Redick’s demand for more reliable ball-handling puts added pressure on him.

While it probably isn’t the best time to discuss this, James is eligible for a contract extension worth $95 million over four years through June 30, 2027. Currently, though, that seems a long way off, and even if he survives the thunderstorm through the third year of his rookie contract, it will be a big deal.