Bronny James became one of the most talked-about second-round draft picks in NBA history when the Los Angeles Lakers took him No. 55 overall. While his connection to his father, LeBron James, was certainly a factor in their decision, general manager Rob Pelinka and head coach JJ Redick have made sure to remind the young player that his spot was earned, not given.
James is not expected to be a bona fide superstar like his father. And he is likely to spend a majority of his first season in the G League developing, but that doesn’t mean he lacks NBA-level skill sets. He has high basketball IQ and strong vision. He’s seen as a solid passer and defender.
And what Pelinka specifically admired about James is one of his defensive attributes, while saying he wants to refine his offensive work around the rim.
“We did talk about that point of attack defense as something that we were drawn to and something that Bronny and I talked about in the Chicago combine is also being a rim attacker on offense,” Pelinka said. “I think he’s shown the ability to space the floor but we need downhill guards in our program that can put pressure on the paint.
“We hope in the Summer League that’s a skill that I know coach wants to develop with Bronny and that’s attacking the rim. He’s as athletic as any guard in this draft so we’ll develop him on both sides of the ball.”
James knows his point-of-attack defense has long been one of his selling points, and believes he can take advantage of this by guarding bigger players in the NBA.
“Other people see me as kind of a bigger guard so I feel like I can take that role of guarding someone bigger. But yeah, I’ve always taken pride in the defensive end, especially because it translates to better offensive looks. I’ve been working on the defensive end just because I’m not the biggest person.”
James has time to refine his skill set with a four-year guaranteed contract. He has until the third year of that deal to show the Lakers why they selected him as L.A.’s team option is not until Year 4. His point-of-attack defense can take him a long way in this league, especially if he can refine the other skills Pelinka refers to.
JJ Redick: Bronny James earned place with Lakers
The Lakers new head coach JJ Redick told Bronny James and reporters that the young rookie earned his spot in the NBA.
“With Bronny, I just want to clarify one thing that was just said: Rob and I did not give Bronny anything. Bronny has earned this,” Redick said. “Bronny talks about his hard work. Bronny has earned this through hard work, and for us, prioritizing player development, we view Bronny like case study No. 1 because his base level of feel, athleticism, point-of-attack defender, shooting, passing.
“There’s a lot to like about his game, and as we sort of build out our player development program holistically, he’s going to have a great opportunity to become an excellent NBA player.”
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