LeBron James' son, Bronny James, was among the active players for the LA Lakers in Friday's 2025 NBA preseason opener against the Phoenix Suns. Bronny came off the bench after several veterans suited up despite Luka Doncic and LeBron's absence.Bronny entered the game in the first quarter after two minutes and played a 4:58-minute shift. The 2024 second-round pick, hoping to crack the rotation this year, unfortunately, didn't have the most efficient start. Bronny managed one point, which came from the free throw line. He missed his two attempts from the floor and one from the foul line.Bronny returned in the second quarter to play another four-minute stint. He was more productive in that stretch after adding four points, all from the free throw line, without missing a single attempt. Bronny entered the half with five points in 9:27 minutes. He was the highest scorer off the bench.Bronny James finally made a shot while playing during his third-quarter stint. He made a 3 on his seventh attempt of the night, racking up his eighth point. However, the 20-year-old couldn't build on the momentum for the rest of the frame. He missed his following two shots to go 1-for-8, entering the fourth.Bronny's shooting woes didn't resolve in the fourth quarter. The second-year guard had just one make, which came in the third. Bronny went 0-for-4 in the final 10 minutes, finishing the game with a 1-for-12 shooting split. He had eight points, with five of them coming from the free throw line.Bronny added five rebounds, two assists and two turnovers to his box score. He had a +/- -12 in a 103-81 loss for LA.Bronny James must work on his handles and driving to the rim Bronny James continues to struggle with a couple of aspects that hold him back on off shooting nights at the NBA level. His ball-handling needs work, which will, in turn, help him get to the rim more frequently. He can dribble, but isn't as tight with his skills, which allows perimeter defenders to force turnovers.Bronny has the explosiveness and athleticism needed to finish at the rim, but if he can't beat his defender off the dribble, it can cause him problems in the pros. He's shown he can do it when in the G League, and now just needs to translate it to the NBA level to crack into LA's rotation.