Los Angeles Lakers were at the top for the second game in a row. Beat the Phoenix Suns 123-116.

The game was decided by All-Star center Anthony Davis, who scored 35 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists.

Other standouts included guard Austin Reaves with 26 points, 8 assists and 4 rebounds, and NBA legend LeBron James with 21 points, 8 assists and 4 rebounds.

But there’s still one player on Lakers fans’ minds: rookie guard Bronny James. How did he perform against Kevin Durant and the Suns?

The answer is simple: he didn’t. Head coach JJ Redick had designated Bronny a DNP Coach’s Decision.

This isn’t exactly surprising because Bronny went 0-for-2 and had the only rebound in the game. opening match of the season. But that doesn’t mean fans won’t see Bronny in the future.

Redick had previously emphasized that the purpose of bringing Bronny James to the team was not to play with his father, but to turn the young James into a “great NBA player.”

“For us, we look at Bronny as a case study in prioritizing player development because his feel at the base level, his athleticism, his point-of-attack defender, his shooting, his passing, there’s a lot to like about his game,” Redick said. per July ESPN’s Shams Charania and Dave McMenamin.

“And when we build our player development program holistically, he will have a great opportunity to become a great NBA player.”

Right now, it looks like Bronny will spend time bouncing back and forth between the NBA and G League to help hone his skills as a role player, especially on defense. And that’s what his father is for.

“I can’t wait to see him continue to grow as a basketball player, whether he’s here with us or having trouble with the G League team and him just continuing to get better and better and better,” LeBron said.

“His job, like all of us, is to work and get better. We want to hold him accountable, and he’ll hold us accountable. And if we all do that, we’ll all get better, because we’re all a team. We’re a team of the South Bay.” We are a reflection; the South Bay is a reflection of us.”

While we may not see much of Bronny in the near future, there is another rookie who is starting to show off his talents: Dalton Knecht

Knecht, who was selected with the 17th pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, recorded eight points, two assists and one rebound in 13 minutes in the Lakers’ match against the Suns.

More Lakers: LeBron James Hilariously Digests Bronny on Welcome to the NBA