The selection of Bronny James as the 55th overall pick by the LA Lakers in the 2024 NBA draft generated an unusual level of media attention for a late second-round pick. Despite impressing plenty in the Draft Combine, though Phoenix Suns and Lakers were two teams willing to take a risk on the 19-year-old after his lackluster freshman year at USC, the common perception was that LeBron James’ firstborn still needed time for developing his skillset.
Moreover, according to NBA Analyst – Ryan McDonough, the Lakers, too, feel that Bronny isn’t ready to fulfill the demands of the professional stage. Speaking on SiriusXM NBA Radio, McDonough presented a less optimistic perspective on the immediate future of LeBron James’ firstborn, indicating how the team may intend to develop his skills away from the spotlight of the main roster.
“I don’t think anybody feels that Bronny James is a ready-made player at this point, including those guys (the Lakers). I think he’ll spend a lot of time with the South Bay Lakers, and develop, and work on his game. He had an interrupted season with a cardiac incident this year at USC. Came off the bench for most of the games,” Ryan said. “He needs to develop his shooting in particular and just get experience and reps. He’ll probably go through preseason, training games with the Lakers, he’ll be on the 15-man roster. And then he’ll spend a lot of time in South Bay once the G-League season gets started.”
Bronny’s development is key
Considering Bronny’s pass-first playing style and hard-nosed perimeter defending can make a solid Jrue Holiday-type player, he needs to maximize his minutes on the floor, especially given the fast-paced nature of today’s NBA. While some time with the G-League associates would do no harm, it is unlikely that young James would spend time away from the spotlight.
Perhaps that is why New Orleans Pelicans’ CJ McCollum views this addition as a ‘low risk and high reward’ situation. Speaking on ESPN’s Get Up, McCollum noted that the 19-year-old is free from all expectations of making a championship-caliber contribution to the Purple and Gold being a late second-round pick, but is in such an environment when he can learn how to control the pace of the game, even with his limited minutes, from a player who has mastered it over the past 21 years.
“Bronny is doing things the right way, it is a low-risk, high-reward pick,” CJ said. “He’s the 55th pick in the draft, he is not supposed to come in and contribute right away. The real work starts now, he has to work on his craft… The developmental plan that the Lakers have in place will be crucial for him and who better to learn from than arguably the greatest player of all time.”
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Do the Lakers see a future in Bronny?
Simply put, at this point, the former USC stud might not be ready for significant minutes under his belt. However, if he’s confident to knock shots from downtown and run plays for the team as their third or fourth-best option, Bronny can make his presence felt in his rookie campaign. However, for that to happen; in the given 3 to 4 months remaining before the next NBA campaign begins, coach JJ Redick should work diligently to refine his skills so that Bronny is able to live up to his family name when his time comes.
That said, it will be intriguing to observe how the Lakers manage Bronny’s development not only this season but in the future. Whether they viewed him as a strategic piece to retain LeBron or were truly impressed by his private workout performances remains a point of interest to monitor closely.
