Bronny James is a Los Angeles Laker.
With the fifty fifth decide in Thursday’s second spherical of the NBA draft, the Lakers chosen the previous USC freshman and son of all-time main NBA scorer LeBron James.
What’s Bronny’s slot in L.A.? What a part of his sport most wants to enhance on the subsequent degree? If, as anticipated, LeBron both opts in to his remaining 12 months or indicators a brand new take care of the Lakers, in what number of video games will father and son take the court docket collectively in 2024-25?
Our NBA Insiders are breaking down the largest questions surrounding Bronny’s future within the league, together with how the 6-foot-2 guard can carve out a profitable NBA profession.
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Bronny James’ match with the Lakers is _____.
Jeff Borzello: By design. In actuality, he was by no means actually going to finish up anyplace else in addition to alongside his father with the Lakers. It is a touchdown spot that may include anticipation, expectations and ample strain — from the surface, at the very least. However we additionally should acknowledge that Bronny himself is not going to be strolling into Los Angeles anticipating to be handed the keys to the offense. He’ll be affected person, he’ll purchase into the method, and it would not be shocking to see him spend time within the G League after getting some minutes alongside LeBron.
Chris Herring: One thing we’ll have to look at. It is extremely laborious to investigate the match with out understanding what kind of professional Bronny will change into, or the place he’d even place on the workforce’s depth chart. (For context: Jalen Hood-Schifino, a guard who bought taken within the first spherical final summer time, logged simply 109 minutes as a rookie.) And that is greater than OK. I believe most of us can have a look at the decide for what it’s: On a base degree, it is a likelihood to see a father and son share the court docket for the primary time in an NBA sport. As teammates, no much less. If it develops right into a larger match than that, will probably be exceptional. However even when it would not, it is nonetheless exceptional in its personal manner.
Dave McMenamin: Strain packed. The nice factor is, Bronny has realized his objective to make it to the NBA. The difficult half is that he’ll proceed to should exist underneath his father’s substantial shadow as he makes an attempt to make a reputation for himself as knowledgeable. There was sure to be a highlight on Bronny wherever he ended up if he made it to the league, however there might be an exponentially bigger one taking part in with the Lakers as LeBron closes out his profession.
Ohm Youngmisuk: Maybe probably the most scrutinized ever for a second-round decide. Ever since LeBron mentioned this as a risk, it appeared inevitable that father and son would discover a solution to play collectively. Bronny will get to study and develop underneath the tutelage of his father. However on the opposite finish, no second-round decide will ever be scrutinized the way in which Bronny might be attributable to who he’s, who his father is and the glamorous Lakers franchise. At summer time league, his would be the most anticipated and watched Lakers rookie debut since Lonzo Ball’s in 2017.
Bronny was drafted too excessive, too low or simply proper at No. 55?
Youngmisuk: NBA groups can do a lot worse than take an opportunity on a guard who is wise, needs to defend, has the work ethic to change into a greater participant and shooter and is an unselfish pass-first participant. At USC, James was beloved by his teammates. Contemplating that second-round picks is usually a crapshoot, James is a worthy gamble for the Lakers at No. 55.
Herring: For a number of causes — his cardiac arrest that shortened his freshman season amongst them — it is laborious to know the place he ought to have been drafted. He’d lengthy been billed as a late second-rounder or a doable undrafted free agent signing, and people kinds of gamers are sometimes ones groups are taking fliers on anyway. The truth that he ended up being taken by the Lakers, after agent Wealthy Paul referred to as round to inform groups to not take him, will merely amplify the questions round him. It is now as much as James to benefit from the prospect he’ll get.
McMenamin: Laborious to say something different than simply proper. Contemplating his faculty manufacturing was inconclusive at finest in proving his NBA potential, crucial factor for Bronny was discovering a workforce to consider in him sufficient to take a position a decide on him. Now that his foot is within the door, Bronny’s work ethic and improvement will decide if the groups that handed on him will find yourself trying sensible or misguided in the long term.
Borzello: He was value taking a flier on. Most will say it is too excessive based mostly on faculty manufacturing. However we simply noticed AJ Johnson — who was ranked decrease than Bronny popping out of highschool — chosen within the first spherical after averaging 2.8 factors in Australia and Pacome Dadiet picked at No. 25 after placing up 6.8 factors per sport in Germany. It is not unprecedented to see groups take an opportunity on NBA pedigree and potential within the late second spherical.
What’s one side Bronny should sharpen on the subsequent degree?
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The highlights Bronny James is bringing to the Lakers
Take a look at the highest moments from Bronny James’ time at USC as he joins up with LeBron and the Los Angeles Lakers.
Borzello: Even when Bronny was at his finest at the highschool degree, he did not constantly reveal a capability to create off the dribble, beating a defender 1-on-1 and making a play for himself or a teammate. He has proven explosiveness in transition when he has a path to the rim, and he has been in a position to transfer the ball throughout the offense, however being a playmaker within the half court docket is an space for enchancment.
Herring: It could be an enormous improvement for him to develop an efficient floater. You may see the makings of an excellent shooter from the perimeter, and he hit higher than 40% of his pull-up jumpers at USC. However finally, if opponents begin to shut out on his jumpers, he’ll want to have the ability to punish them by scoring within the paint — one thing that is not the best factor to do at his 6-foot-2 peak. Including a dependable floater may very well be an enormous device for his sport.
McMenamin: Participating his motor extra usually. Any top-line evaluation of Bronny as an NBA prospect factors to his elite athleticism on the plus facet and his relative lack of dimension as a minus. Explosive exercise — working the court docket, taking part in bodily and linked wing protection, and making performs above the rim — is a method he can restrict his peak drawback. One expertise evaluator who noticed Bronny throughout the pre-draft course of advised ESPN that the guard’s in depth soccer expertise rising up might need precipitated him to unknowingly tempo himself on the court docket after being accustomed to taking part in on extra expansive soccer pitches. Former NBA All-Star Gilbert Arenas, who labored out with Bronny in L.A. lately, backed up this remark, saying on the “Gil’s Enviornment” podcast: “He has the Bugatti engine, however he needs to drive the pace restrict.”
Youngmisuk: James has the shape and work ethic to change into a greater 3-point shooter after hitting simply 26.7% from behind the arc at USC. Needless to say James was making his manner again from struggling cardiac arrest throughout a summer time exercise and did not have an offseason to arrange. As soon as again, he needed to ramp up on a strict minutes restriction, and people got here in brief stints by which he had a tough time discovering a rhythm. James should shoot with confidence and accuracy on the subsequent degree.
Bronny’s success within the NBA might be decided by _____.
Youngmisuk: His means to defend. James is not as fast as many NBA level guards or as tall as NBA capturing guards. However James’ NBA calling card might be as a 3-and-D position participant who makes successful performs. He works laborious on the defensive finish and should keep in entrance of guards and defend at a excessive degree. His basketball IQ stands out. He appears to make the appropriate play and the appropriate go, virtually to a fault. He’s an athletic finisher however will want that agility to make performs on protection — like when he produced a spotlight chase-down block, harking back to his previous man.
Herring: How effectively the Lakers develop him. Clearly Bronny comes from a notable background, and we will think about he’ll put the work in. However let’s be sincere right here: How effectively a participant develops has lots to do with the place he is creating, too — and that is one side of Klutch CEO Wealthy Paul’s pondering that was at all times laborious to argue with. He was at all times explicit about the place Bronny landed, and, as such, he ended up in Los Angeles, the place his dad has a strong voice within the group. All of that stated: It could have been attention-grabbing to see him find yourself with one of many golf equipment — Miami, San Antonio, Toronto — which are recognized for excelling in participant improvement.
McMenamin: The participant improvement program in L.A. James already proved his admirable work ethic and unquestioned dedication when he recovered from a severe cardiac incident and joined his USC teammates in sport motion midseason. However let’s be sincere: He nonetheless wants much more work to succeed in his objective of being an affect participant on the following degree and never simply somebody taking on a roster spot on the tip of the bench.
Borzello: Endurance and participant improvement. Previous to final summer time, Bronny was being projected as a possible first-round decide — however making an instantaneous affect and contributing from day one within the NBA wasn’t the expectation. And that was earlier than he suffered a cardiac arrest throughout apply final summer time. He did not make his faculty debut till December and was on a minutes restriction for just a few weeks; he began simply six faculty video games. On the plus facet, Bronny is not going to be requested to begin within the NBA early. It will take time — however his price of enchancment at the highschool degree paints an image of somebody who might be affected person with the event course of.
Bronny’s NBA ceiling is _____.
Youngmisuk: James has talked about Jrue Vacation, Derrick White and Davion Mitchell as gamers he’d liken his sport to. Vacation and White are excellent gamers for the rookie to emulate, as James needs to affect successful like Vacation and White did for the reigning champs. If James can defend like these three however be capable of hit the open 3 and do all of the small however impactful issues that Vacation and White do on the glass and on protection, he may have an extended profession.
Herring: Nonetheless unknown. He landed with a stable workforce within the Lakers, who, given his dad’s age, wish to win huge proper now. That is usually not conducive for youthful gamers who’re searching for alternatives to develop, notably second-rounders. Nonetheless, I believe the hope needs to be that Bronny can sooner or later develop extra playmaking and capturing means to the place he can change into a rotation participant. His willingness to compete on the defensive finish is an apparent power. However it’s an enormous leap to go from a truncated season at USC to the NBA at his dimension. Let’s examine the man play first. Both manner, he’ll want time to develop, and I genuinely hope he will get that chance.
Borzello: I do not assume it is a stretch to assume he is usually a rotation participant inside just a few years. His flooring is a succesful 3-and-D guard with superior really feel for the sport who can distribute and run an offense. If he improves off the bounce and as a playmaker, his ceiling will get increased. Bronny has already demonstrated he is able to shopping for into a task and will not count on to be a go-to man — or something even near it — on the NBA or G League degree anytime quickly. He dedicated to USC when it already had No. 1 recruit Isaiah Collier and all-league guard Boogie Ellis within the backcourt; he isn’t anticipating to stroll into an enormous position.
McMenamin: Slightly than what his ceiling is, let’s discuss what his aspiration needs to be — a rotation participant on a successful workforce. If he can change into that, it’s going to unlock all the pieces he may ask for as a professional by way of longevity and compensation and the achievement of having the ability to apply what seems to be his most NBA-ready talent in his preternatural basketball IQ. And if he’s a contributor on a winner, he’ll be capable of carve out his personal title other than his father’s as he introduced to the world as his objective throughout the pre-draft mix in Chicago.
What number of video games will LeBron and Bronny play collectively in 2024-25?
Youngmisuk: Ten or fewer. My expectation is Bronny will are available throughout blowouts initially. What number of minutes will he truly play collectively together with his father on the ground? These cases seemingly might be uncommon this season because the Lakers get adjusted to new coach JJ Redick’s system whereas attempting to win now. The main focus needs to be on Bronny creating his sport and studying.
Herring: 5 or fewer, if solely as a result of there typically would not be any overlap between LeBron’s stints as a starter and Bronny’s as what I think about might be a clean-up man later in video games which have basically been determined. (The preseason video games could be a incredible, low-stakes alternative.) I do not assume you will should work to persuade LeBron to play these garbage-time minutes, given the circumstances. However he’ll nonetheless be 40 in December, so it may very well be one thing of an harm danger to do it for longer stretches.
Borzello: Round 5. They will not play vital minutes collectively in most video games, a few minutes towards the tip of halves or video games at finest. However I’d think about there is a line of pondering to get the 2 of them on the ground collectively early within the season just a few occasions after which have Bronny play so much within the G League.
McMenamin: I am positive LeBron would let you know he is not targeted a lot on the video games performed, however all of the practices, bus rides, aircraft journeys, dinners on the street and misplaced time he has given to the sport that he’ll be capable of get again together with his son. They’re going to share the court docket collectively in sport motion, after all, however let’s not miss the massive image right here.