Bronny James gets second career start for short-handed Lakers vs. Bucks

With LeBron James and other players still out, the Los Angeles Lakers will be starting LeBron James Jr.

Bronny James is in the starting lineup for L.A.’s game against the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday, joining Luka Dončić, Austin Reaves, Deandre Ayton and Jake LaRavia. It is the second start of the younger James’ NBA career and his first of the season.

James’ only other career start was in the Lakers’ regular-season finale last season, a game in which they had nothing to play for with the No. 3 seed in the West already sewn up. In his 38 minutes, James posted 4 points on 2-of-10 shooting, 6 assists, 4 steals, 3 rebounds and 3 turnovers in a 109-81 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers.

So this is basically the first time James has started a game that matters for the Lakers.

This season, Bronny has come off the bench eight times and posted 2.3 points and 1.9 assists in 12.1 minutes per game. He is shooting 29.2% from the field and 25% from 3-point range.

It’s not often you see players with those stats elevated to the starting lineup, but the Lakers are down James’ father as well as Marcus Smart, Gabe Vincent and Rui Hachimura, all of whom have started games this season.

Smart and Hachimura both started the Lakers’ previous game against the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday, but are out for the second leg of a back-to-back with an illness and calf injury, respectively.

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