Bronny James is currently enjoying the best stretch of his young G League career. Selected by the Lakers with the 55th overall pick in last June’s draft, Bronny is finally getting the minutes he needs to develop and improve his game – minutes he never saw with the USC Trojans and would not have gotten on the Lakers’ main roster. During his short stint with the Lakers, he only played in garbage time when the game was already decided. Now, in seven games with the South Bay Lakers, Bronny is averaging 13.4 points, 3 rebounds and 3.4 assists in 27 minutes per game. The Lakers should let him finish the season in the G League and only consider calling him up if absolutely necessary – either due to injury or if his performance reaches an NBA-ready level. Only then should he join his father, LeBron, as part of the rotation.
Bronny Shows Like Father Like Son
If you think the Lakers (16-12), currently sixth in the West, are having a bad season – which I don’t – then you haven’t seen the South Bay Lakers (5-11), who are at the bottom of their conference. But not everything is going wrong. In the Lakers’ recent game against the Osceola Magic (5-11), we saw Bronny channel his father, “King” James, with a block that might remind you of LeBron’s iconic chase-down rejection in Game 7 of the 2016 Finals against Andre Iguodala and the Warriors. While the stage is completely different, you can imagine Bronny’s teammates in the locker room saying, “Just like your dad.”
According to his draft reports, Bronny’s defensive work has always been a standout, along with his energy on the court. Many players have started out like this, excelling defensively and gradually improving their scoring ability over the years. Not to draw direct comparisons, but Kawhi Leonard and Jimmy Butler are great examples of stars who started out as defensive specialists and eventually became elite scorers.
The Pressure of Legacy
I’ll say it again: Bronny needs the space to grow without being constantly compared to his father, who is considered by many to be the greatest player of all time. If Bronny can get rid of the pressure of trying to live up to LeBron or being measured against him, he’ll undoubtedly find more confidence. He’s already showing it in the G League. He’s not a superstar yet, but he’s headed in the right direction.
Bronny James will probably play his last two games of the year in his home state of Ohio against the Cleveland Charge. Playing in familiar territory, we could expect strong performances from him as he feels at home. After that, he’ll likely travel to Mexico to face the Mexico City Capitanes in his first game outside of the United States. His strong efforts in the G-league have prompted J.J Redick to call him up for the game against the Pistons, though of course he’s not assured of minutes
Meanwhile, LeBron and the Lakers host the much-improved Detroit Pistons today and then face Stephen Curry and the Warriors on Christmas Day. In the Western Conference, every game counts as the competition remains incredibly tight. From the 5th to the 11th seeds, teams are separated by just two wins (16 to 14 wins). It’s safe to say that the “Wild West” will likely come down to the wire in the final stretch of the season, and the Lakers will most likely be in that fight.
