Bronny James found himself in the Los Angeles Lakers‘ rotation at the end of the regular season, and the sophomore guard didn’t squander the opportunities that came his way. Bronny had some impressive outings, so much so that he ended up faring better in April 2026 than Atlanta Hawks forward Zaccharie Risacher.
Risacher was, of course, the first pick of the 2024 NBA Draft, while Bronny went 55th. The Lakers were heavily criticized for picking him, with the notion being that they only did so for LeBron James. So, when it came to LeBron’s attention on Instagram that Bronny had played better than Risacher this month, he liked the post.
Bronny averaged 7.2 points, 1.0 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 0.8 steals, and 0.2 blocks per game in April while shooting 47.2% from the field and 42.9% from beyond the arc. The shooting percentages are definitely what stand out here, considering how much the 21-year-old was struggling with his shot as a rookie. He was at 31.3% from the field and 28.1% from three in 2024-25.
Bronny has said he is getting more comfortable shooting behind the NBA line. If he can turn himself into a knockdown shooter, he is going to have a long and successful career.
As for Risacher, well, his stock keeps dropping. Hawks head coach Quin Snyder hasn’t come across as the Frenchman’s biggest fan and took him out of the starting lineup in February.
Risacher has had some good performances since, but hasn’t done well lately. The 21-year-old averaged 4.8 points, 3.8 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 0.8 steals, and 0.4 blocks per game in April while shooting 41.7% from the field and 10.0% from beyond the arc.
Unfortunately, Risacher is trending toward becoming a bust. He still has plenty of time on his hands, of course, to turn things around. Risacher is unlikely to ever become a star, but he does have the tools to be a very good role player, at the very least. He is a solid defender and rebounder, and is also capable of knocking down shots from beyond the arc.
It will be very interesting to see how big a role Snyder gives Risacher in the playoffs, with the Hawks set to take on the New York Knicks in the first round. If he barely features and sees the likes of Corey Kispert get more minutes, then a change in scenery might be in order in the offseason.
We are likely to see Bronny in the playoffs, too, with Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves being out with injuries. He’d be coming up against the likes of Amen Thompson in the first round against the Houston Rockets, and that would be quite the stern test.
LeBron will be the one carrying much of the offensive load, though, in Doncic and Reaves’ absence. The 41-year-old has averaged 25.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, 11.0 assists, 2.5 steals, and 0.3 blocks per game since the backcourt duo went down. While those are great averages, James might have to better those for the Lakers to pull off the upset.
