LOS ANGELES — A startling early-season statistic has intensified scrutiny of Bronny James’ place in the Los Angeles Lakers’ rotation, after the young guard was reported to have posted a minus-40 plus/minus rating in just 16 minutes and 35 seconds of playing time during the 2026-27 NBA season.

The figure was highlighted by Lakers reporter Jovan Buha, who discussed the struggling end of the team’s rotation on his Buha’s Block podcast. “Bronny is a minus-40 in 16 minutes and 35 seconds this season,” Buha said, stressing how dramatically the Lakers had been outscored during the minutes James was on the floor.

The number is striking because 16 minutes and 35 seconds is less than half of a standard 48-minute NBA game. However, plus/minus is a team-based measure: it records the difference between a team’s points scored and conceded while a player is on the court. It does not mean James personally gave up 40 points, nor does it prove that he alone caused the team’s struggles during those stretches.

What The Numbers Say

Season statistics available on November 12 showed James appearing in six games, totalling 17 minutes and recording eight points, with a reported minus-40 rating. He was averaging 1.3 points in 2.8 minutes per appearance. The small amount of playing time makes the plus/minus figure particularly volatile, but it is still an uncomfortable indicator for a player trying to establish a dependable role.

His latest appearance came in the Lakers’ 123-112 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on November 11. James played four minutes, scored four points from the free-throw line, missed his only field-goal attempt and finished the game with a minus-13 rating. The Lakers won the contest by 11 points, illustrating how a player’s individual plus/minus can differ sharply from the final team result.

Jovan Buha Questions The Lakers’ End-of-Bench Options

Buha’s criticism extended beyond James. The reporter also raised concerns about Jaden Hardy and the team’s ability to get reliable production from its deeper reserves. His argument centred on whether the Lakers can trust those players to organise the offence, handle defensive pressure and avoid damaging stretches when the main rotation players are resting.

Buha went further by questioning James’ longer-term security in Los Angeles. He suggested that if the Lakers were to waive the guard, another NBA team might be more inclined to offer him a two-way contract than a standard roster deal. That was the reporter’s assessment, not an announced Lakers decision or an indication that the organisation has made a move.

He also floated veteran guard Bruce Brown as a possible alternative for the Lakers. Brown’s championship experience and established NBA role make the suggestion understandable as a roster discussion, although there has been no confirmation that the Lakers are pursuing him.

Why Plus/Minus Needs Context

Plus/minus is useful for describing what happened to a team while a player was on the court, but it is not a complete evaluation of individual performance. It can be influenced by teammates, opponents, substitutions, game situations and a handful of possessions. In a sample as small as 16 minutes, a few difficult sequences can move the number dramatically.

That context matters in James’ case. The statistic deserves attention, particularly because the Lakers are a team with ambitions of competing deep into the postseason. But a fair assessment should also consider his defensive assignments, decision-making, off-ball work, role within the line-up and performance over a larger stretch of meaningful minutes.

The Lakers Face A Roster-Balance Question

The Lakers’ early-season success makes the debate more complicated. A team winning consistently can afford to experiment with its bench, but the margin for error becomes smaller when the schedule tightens and opponents target weak links. The coaching staff must decide whether young players can develop through limited opportunities or whether the team needs more experienced options to protect leads and stabilise non-starter minutes.

For James, the challenge is to turn brief opportunities into evidence that he can contribute beyond his family name and draft position. His NBA future should not be decided by one plus/minus figure, but the current numbers underline the pressure on him to show tangible progress whenever he is called upon.

For the Lakers, the bigger issue is not simply Bronny James’ minus-40. It is whether the players at the end of the bench can give the team dependable minutes when its stars are off the floor. That question is likely to remain part of the conversation as the season develops.

Sources And Further Reading

Photo: Bronny James during the Los Angeles Lakers’ game against the Cleveland Cavaliers on January 28, 2026. Photo by Erik Drost / Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY 4.0.