Bronny James is a Los Angeles Laker.
With the fifty fifth choose 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 into his ultimate yr or indicators a brand new take care of the Lakers, in what number of video games will father and son take the courtroom collectively in 2024-25?
Our NBA Insiders are breaking down the most important questions surrounding Bronny’s future within the league, together with how the 6-foot-2 guard can carve out a profitable NBA profession.
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 moreover alongside his father with the Lakers. It is a touchdown spot that can include anticipation, expectations and ample stress — from the surface, not less than. However we additionally must 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 research the match with out understanding what kind of professional Bronny will develop into, or the place he’d even place on the group’s depth chart. (For context: Jalen Hood-Schifino, a guard who acquired taken within the first spherical final summer season, logged simply 109 minutes as a rookie.) And that is greater than OK. I believe most of us can have a look at the choose for what it’s: On a base degree, this can be a probability to see a father and son share the courtroom for the primary time in an NBA sport. As teammates, no much less. If it develops right into a better match than that, it will likely be exceptional. However even when it does not, it is nonetheless exceptional in its personal method.
Dave McMenamin: Stress packed. The good factor is, Bronny has realized his objective to make it to the NBA. The sophisticated half is that he’ll proceed to must exist beneath 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 will probably be an exponentially bigger one enjoying with the Lakers as LeBron closes out his profession.
Ohm Youngmisuk: Maybe essentially the most scrutinized ever for a second-round choose. Ever since LeBron mentioned this as a chance, it appeared inevitable that father and son would discover a solution to play collectively. Bronny will get to be taught and develop beneath the tutelage of his father. However on the opposite finish, no second-round choose will ever be scrutinized the best way Bronny will probably be on account of who he’s, who his father is and the glamorous Lakers franchise. At summer season 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, desires to defend, has the work ethic to develop 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 could be 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 potential 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 known 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: Exhausting to say something different than simply proper. Contemplating his faculty manufacturing was inconclusive at finest in proving his NBA potential, a very powerful factor for Bronny was discovering a group to imagine in him sufficient to take a position a choose 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 wanting smart or misguided in the long term.
Borzello: He was value taking a flier on. Most will say it is too excessive primarily based 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 isn’t unprecedented to see groups take an opportunity on NBA pedigree and potential within the late second spherical.
What’s one aspect Bronny should sharpen on the subsequent degree?
The highlights Bronny James is bringing to the Lakers
Try 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 display 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 inside the offense, however being a playmaker within the half courtroom is an space for enchancment.
Herring: It will be a large improvement for him to develop an efficient floater. You possibly can see the makings of a very good shooter from the perimeter, and he hit higher than 40% of his pull-up jumpers at USC. However ultimately, 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 top. Including a dependable floater might be a large instrument 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 aspect and his relative lack of dimension as a minus. Explosive exercise — operating the courtroom, enjoying bodily and linked wing protection, and making performs above the rim — is a method he can restrict his top drawback. One expertise evaluator who noticed Bronny throughout the pre-draft course of informed ESPN that the guard’s intensive soccer expertise rising up may need induced him to unknowingly tempo himself on the courtroom after being accustomed to enjoying on extra expansive soccer pitches. Former NBA All-Star Gilbert Arenas, who labored out with Bronny in L.A. in recent times, backed up this statement, saying on the Gil’s Area Podcast that, “He has the Bugatti engine, however he desires to drive the pace restrict.”
Youngmisuk: James has the shape and work ethic to develop into a greater 3-point shooter after hitting simply 26.7% from behind the arc at USC. Remember that James was making his method again from struggling cardiac arrest throughout a summer season exercise and did not have an offseason to organize. As soon as again, he needed to ramp up on a strict minutes restriction, and people got here briefly stints during which he had a troublesome time discovering a rhythm. James should shoot with confidence and accuracy on the subsequent degree.
Bronny’s success within the NBA will probably be decided by _____.
Youngmisuk: His means to defend. James is not as fast as many NBA level guards or as tall as NBA taking pictures guards. However James’ NBA calling card will probably be as a 3-and-D position participant who makes profitable 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 seems to make the appropriate play and the appropriate move, 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, paying homage to his previous man.
Herring: How properly 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 trustworthy right here: How properly a participant develops has a lot to do with the place he is creating, too — and that is one facet of Klutch CEO Wealthy Paul’s considering that was all the time laborious to argue with. He was all the time specific about the place Bronny landed, and, as such, he ended up in Los Angeles, the place his dad has a robust voice within the group. All of that stated: It will 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 critical cardiac incident and joined his USC teammates in sport motion midseason. However let’s be trustworthy: He nonetheless wants much more work to achieve his objective of being an impression participant on the following degree and never simply somebody taking over a roster spot on the tip of the bench.
Borzello: Endurance and participant improvement. Previous to final summer season, Bronny was being projected as a possible first-round choose — however making a direct impression 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 season. He did not make his faculty debut till December and was on a minutes restriction for a number of weeks; he began simply six faculty video games. On the plus aspect, Bronny is not going to be requested to begin within the NBA early. It should take time — however his price of enchancment at the highschool degree paints an image of somebody who will probably 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 good gamers for the rookie to emulate, as James desires to impression profitable like Vacation and White did for the reigning champs. If James can defend like these three however be capable to 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 strong group within the Lakers, who, given his dad’s age, wish to win massive proper now. That is usually not conducive for youthful gamers who’re on the lookout for alternatives to develop, significantly second-rounders. Nonetheless, I believe the hope needs to be that Bronny can in some unspecified time in the future develop extra playmaking and taking pictures means to the place he can develop into a rotation participant. His willingness to compete on the defensive finish is an apparent energy. However it’s a large leap to go from a truncated season at USC to the NBA at his dimension. Let’s examine the man play first. Both method, 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 could be a rotation participant inside a number of 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 larger. Bronny has already demonstrated he is able to shopping for into a task and will not anticipate 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 is not anticipating to stroll into an enormous position.
McMenamin: Somewhat than what his ceiling is, let’s discuss what his aspiration needs to be — a rotation participant on a profitable group. If he can develop into that, it would unlock all the things he might ask for as a professional by way of longevity and compensation and the success of with 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 to carve out his personal identify 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 in throughout blowouts initially. What number of minutes will he really play collectively along with his father on the ground? These situations probably will probably be uncommon this season because the Lakers get adjusted to new coach JJ Redick’s system whereas making an attempt to win now. The main target needs to be on Bronny to develop his sport and be taught.
Herring: 5 or fewer, if solely as a result of there usually would not be any overlap between LeBron’s stints as a starter and Bronny’s as what I think about will probably be a clean-up man later in video games which have basically been determined. (The preseason video games could be a implausible, low-stakes alternative.) I do not assume you may must work to persuade LeBron to play these garbage-time minutes, given the circumstances. However he’ll nonetheless be 40 in December, so it might be one thing of an damage 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 considering to get the 2 of them on the ground collectively early within the season a number of occasions after which have Bronny play so much within the G League.
McMenamin: I am certain LeBron would inform you he is not centered a lot on the video games performed, however all of the practices, bus rides, airplane journeys, dinners on the street and misplaced time he has given to the sport that he’ll be capable to get again along with his son. They will share the courtroom collectively in sport motion, after all, however let’s not miss the massive image right here.