Lakers' Bronny James slapped with first flagrant foul after dangerous move
Today at 03:03 AM
There will be many NBA firsts for Bronny James that are celebrated in the coming weeks, but his first flagrant foul is not one of them. The Los Angeles Lakers rookie drew a whistle following a scary exchange at the basket in Thursday’s 128-122 overtime preseason win over the Phoenix Suns.
He collided with a driving Jalen Bridges in the fourth quarter, resulting in the latter landing hard on his back and hitting his head on the floor. Because James did not make a play on the ball, he was charged with a flagrant 1. The former USC Trojans guard checked on Bridges and the two had a friendly exchange after the foul.
BRONNY JAMES' FIRST NBA FLAGRANT FOUL pic.twitter.com/J7sJcgpF13
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) October 18, 2024
James will have to develop more awareness in these type of situations going forward. Impeding a player’s path when he is about to take off without contesting the shot could cause safety concerns and will lead to a flagrant foul call almost every time. His timing on these breakaways should improve with more in-game experience, however.
The 20-year-old recorded four points on 2-of-4 shooting and two rebounds in 17 minutes of action. His current limitations are well-known by now, but the main focus for him is to just get a feel for the offensive part of the game and hone his instincts and intangibles. The Lakers will continue to be patient with James, knowing that he is a raw prospect who suffered cardiac arrest less than 15 months ago.
But they are expecting their other 2024 draft pick to contribute right away. Consensus All-American Dalton Knecht lit up the Suns for 35 points (matched the dominant Anthony Davis for a game-high) and drained eight 3-pointers in 32 minutes, including the one that sent the contest into overtime. He scored a terrific 13 points in the additional five minutes, propelling LA to the victory.
The Lakers wrap up preseason play on Friday versus the Golden State Warriors. Bronny James will look to finish strong before officially suiting up for his first NBA regular season game next week.
The post Lakers’ Bronny James slapped with first flagrant foul after dangerous move appeared first on ClutchPoints.
