Bronny James' Late Cameo in Painful Lakers Loss

Merlin sees Bronny James finish the last seven minutes of a 126 105 loss in Boston as another small chapter in a slow season. With Luka Dončić out for personal reasons and LeBron sidelined by sciatica and foot joint arthritis, the Lakers were buried early and Bronny offered five points on 2 of 3 shooting, one assist, one steal and two turnovers, including a turnover into the Celtic bench. Fans were unimpressed and his season line sits at 32.3 percent from the field and 2.0 points in roughly 10 minutes across 13 games. Merlin remembers the promise behind the numbers. Bronny still has the G League resume to prove his scoring and playmaking instincts, and flashes like a clean dunk and a timely steal show the tools. The NBA game is harder and patience and coaching will matter more than a single quiet night. This is development, not a destiny.