Bronny James is just not ready to overtake Gabe Vincent for a spot in the rotation for the Los Angeles Lakers. After only two preseason games, that much looks obvious.

After missing the Lakers’ first matchup against the Phoenix Suns, Vincent made his preseason debut against the Golden State Warriors. It was a 103-11 loss, but the team results do no count just yet. What does count is how much more polished the veteran guard looked than his younger counterpart.

Vincent scored 16 points and added five assists, shooting 4-of-9 from the field and 3-of-7 from beyond the arc. That is exactly the kind of stability that a team wants out of their backup point guard.

Bronny continued to look like the unproven developmental project that a sophomore player taken in the second round of the NBA Draft tends to be. After a strong summer league, the hype train for James was rampant.

After just two games of preseason, the Lakers’ decision on what to do with their young guard should be crystal clear.

Bronny James needs more time to develop for the Lakers

This conversation could begin and end with shot-making. James has been brutal in that aspect during the preseason thus far.

Bronny shot 1-of-12 from the field against the Suns in the Lakers’ first contest. His only made bucket came from beyond the arc, but that would area would not be highlighted as a positive. James connected on 1-of-8 from 3-point land.

Naturally, evaluating preseason for shot-making is not always a reliable experience. However, with James, it is abundantly clear the level of comfort, that one would have hoped was being developed, is just not where it needs to be.

Bronny looked a bit better against the Warriors, but nowhere near enough to make one feel good about his presence. James had five points, shooting 2-of-6 from the field and 1-of-3 from deep. The second-year guard also gave away five turnovers in this one.

Extending this conversation past the offensive struggles, the defense, which is supposed to be his strong point, still lacks refinement. James has struggled navigating screens and sticking with his man. The tenacious defense that one would want to see out of someone as athletic as the Lakers guard has not provided the necessary results.

There is still time for James to turn things around and render this assessment premature. However, for a team wishing to pursue a championship in 2025-26, Vincent is the much safer option off the bench.

The veteran has certainly had his fair share of low points in purple and gold. Even so, there are far less variables with the 29-year-old.