PALM DESERT, Calif. — It may need come instantly following his turnover and through Recreation 1 of the preseason as an alternative of Recreation 7 of the NBA Finals, however Bronny James had a chase-down block of his personal in his Los Angeles Lakers debut Friday together with his father, LeBron James, sitting on the bench to witness it.
Bronny James completed with two factors on 1-for-6 taking pictures within the Lakers’ 124-107 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves to open their six-game exhibition slate, however he led the group with three blocked pictures in 16 minutes whereas including one rebound and one help.
The primary block got here lower than a minute into his first shift to begin the second quarter when the Timberwolves’ Nickeil Alexander-Walker stole James’ cross to D’Angelo Russell and streaked down the courtroom towards the ring.
The Lakers’ No. 55 choose didn’t surrender on the play, sprinting to catch as much as the 6-foot-5 Alexander-Walker and, regardless of being 6-2, simply leaping excessive sufficient to swat the try away from behind.
Lakers coach JJ Redick stated James earned the rotation minutes after a powerful exhibiting within the first week of coaching camp.
“As a training workers, earlier than the sport, as we have been type of going over our rotation matrix, we have been speaking about Bronny, and he is had some actually good days in August and September,” Redick stated. “He is had three actually good days this week. We’re actually completely happy together with his progress.”
Although James did not get his first bucket to fall till there was 56.2 seconds left and plenty of followers have been already submitting out of Acrisure Enviornment, the Lakers “residence” crowd nonetheless welcomed the driving layup with loud cheers.
The remainder of his exhibiting on offense — lacking a floater off the again rim, crusing a baseline pull-up over the rim utterly, getting blocked on the rim, arising brief on a protracted 3 and failing to attach on a 20-foot jumper — confirmed how a lot work nonetheless must be completed, however Redick targeted on James’ defensive impression that was already obvious.
“He can do some issues defensively at his measurement which can be actually distinctive, and I feel can flip into a very disruptive defender,” Redick stated. “That manifested itself. On the offensive finish, he is nonetheless determining who he’s. That is our job as a participant improvement program simply to construct him in.
“However in truth, he is really easy to teach. He is acquired a terrific soul and only a nice power about him. I like being round him. I am rooting for him. He is participant that we’re completely happy to have in our program.”
LeBron James didn’t play Friday, with Redick holding out the 22-year veteran to relaxation after he competed for USA Basketball within the Paris Olympics.
Nevertheless, Redick stated he expects James to go well with up Sunday when the Lakers play the Phoenix Suns, which could possibly be the primary time the daddy and son are in uniform collectively.