It may not have shown up in the box score in the Los Angeles Lakers’ preseason opener, but coach JJ Redick said he is thrilled with the steps Bronny James took in his development ahead of his second year. The former second-round pick made strides in Summer League action, and carried that momentum into the early days of training camp, even though it did not manifest during the Lakers’ 103-81 defeat against the Phoenix Suns.
James struggled from the field in his preseason debut with a 1-for-12 effort. He collected five of his eight points from the free throw line with his only field goal coming on a 3-point conversion.
“He is so much more comfortable and confident as a player,” Redick said. “Skill-wise, read-wise, all of those things have improved, but there’s a big difference between improving those things in individual workouts and small group settings and then doing it 5-on-5. I have just felt like all of September and in our first three days of camp, he just looks more comfortable and confident. He’s a totally different player than he was a year ago.”
James was only a minimal contributor to the Lakers as a rookie and played 6.7 minutes per game across 27 appearances. He spent much of his year in the G League, where in contrast he excelled on both ends of the floor, averaging 21.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 1.9 steals per game across 11 outings.
It remains to be seen whether James opens this season back on the Lakers’ roster or if he has more work ahead of him with the G League, but assistant coach Nate McMillan said this summer that LeBron James’ son could earn minutes at the NBA level in his sophomore campaign.
“I thought the stuff that he did down in the G League last year with South Bay and Zach (Guthrie) and his staff was huge for him in just developing a comfort level with playing at this level,” Redick said. “In terms of his growth, he’s going to have to be an impact defender, so it’s really about the conditioning and knowing our defenses and being disruptive. That’s, to me, where I’d like to see even more growth this year.”
Only fellow second-year youngster Dalton Knecht saw more action than James in the preseason opener, and he battled through a rough shooting night of his own. It could be a busy preseason for the two as the Lakers seek to determine what exactly they have in both of their 2024 draft picks.
“I’ve talked to him a little bit about the chase action that he’s been doing,” Redick said. “He’s such a dynamic mover. He has created a lot of thrust and pace in the half court for us using that chase. His feel offensively, from where it was last year to now, is a lot higher. Really, really happy with the growth there.”