The Los Angeles Lakers officially introduced both of their 2024 draft picks on Tuesday in Dalton Knecht and Bronny James. Of course a lot of attention will go towards Bronny as the son of Lakers superstar LeBron James with the two looking to become the first father-son duo to play in the NBA together.
But LeBron isn’t the only superstar on the Lakers as it was Anthony Davis who was the team’s best and most consistent player a season ago. In fact, Davis played in 76 games for the Lakers, being named All-NBA Second Team and All-Defensive First Team after an outstanding season.
Bronny has already gotten, and will surely receive, even more questions about playing with his father, but he also has an excellent opportunity to share the court with Davis as well. And Bronny believes Davis’ presence will take a ton of pressure off of him on the court, via Spectrum SportsNet and NBA on X:
“Insane. Legend. Just being able to take some of the pressure off me. Pick-and-roll stuff like that, pindowns. His presence is what’s important to someone’s offense and I feel like that’s a big jump for me, especially big-wise.”
Davis’ impact simply cannot be measured, especially as he does so much on both ends of the court. For a young guard like Bronny, having a big man as talented as Davis changes everything and as he noted, is simply a huge leap from any big he has played with to this point in his career.
Offensively, Davis is a top-notch screen-setter which is huge in the pick-and-roll, but can also be a creator and offensive hub as well, making life easier on Bronny. Defensively, Davis’ presence behind him will allow Bronny, or any other guard, to be more aggressive on that end of the court which can lead to the creation of more turnovers.
James is still a developmental project and has a lot to work on in his game overall. But if he is on the court with Davis, his life is made much easier and he understands that very well.
Bronny James not concerned about pressure of playing with father LeBron James on Lakers
As much Anthony Davis impacts everything, the idea of Bronny James playing with his father remains the biggest storyline. Many have questioned whether the Lakers should have even drafted him, but Bronny is embracing the pressure that comes with playing with LeBron.
“It’s for sure an amplified amount of pressure,” Bronny admitted. “I’ve already seen it in the media and on the internet and stuff talking about how I might not deserve an opportunity. But I’ve been dealing with stuff like this my whole life, so it’s nothing different. It’s more amplified, for sure. But I can get through it.”
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