When the Los Angeles Lakers drafted Bronny James, they made it clear that he was a developmental project with great potential, especially on the defensive end. So far, that has shown itself to be the case as Bronny has struggled to get his offensive game going but has shown flashes on the other side of the ball of being a real problem defensively.
Developing the young players on this team is something that new head coach JJ Redick has made a priority for this organization and obviously James falls under that category. And Bronny believes the Lakers coach has been great for the young players so far.
“He’s really encouraging, especially for the younger guys like myself,” Bronny said following the Lakers’ recent preseason game against the Phoenix Suns. “He’s just trying to push us into something that down the road can contribute to a winning team.”
Contributing to winning is the most important thing and Redick has already made it clear to Bronny on how he can do that and where he needs to focus when he’s on the court.
“JJ has really emphasized the defensive end and being a pest on defense,” Bronny added. “So that’s what I’ve just been trying to focus on when I step on the floor.”
And for his part, James has taken to Redick’s instructions and is doing everything he can to lock in defensively and disrupt the opposition.
“It feels good getting back into game shape,” Bronny said. “Again, JJ has told me to be as disruptive as possible, forcing me to disrupt the ball and pick up 94 feet, disrupt the ball screens and stuff like that. So yeah, I’m just trying to focus on what I could do best in my role and it’s been pretty good.”
So far, Bronny has three blocks through the Lakers’ first three preseason games as he looks to embrace his defensive-minded role. There remains a lot of room to grow as James develops, but the defensive end is where he has the best chance to make an impact and he shown some reason for optimism on that end.
Expectation is for LeBron & Bronny James to play together early in regular season
Of course, Bronny James and his father LeBron James made history by becoming the first father-son duo to share the court in an NBA game during the Lakers’ preseason game against the Suns. But there is also plans in place for the two to play together once the regular season begins and it’s expected to come sooner rather than later.
A recent report stated LeBron and Bronny could share the court as soon as Opening Night against the Minnesota Timberwolves, but it will all come down to a collaborative effort between LeBron, Bronny and Redick and what they are all comfortable with.