The Los Angeles Lakers are not banking on Bronny James becoming a star. Drafted 55th overall in 2024, there is a case to be made that his career has been successful. After all, no one drafted after him has appeared in as many games.
Of course, by virtue of being LeBron James’ son, Bronny gets his fair share of scruntity and is both lauded for being a “nepo baby” and for his lackluster play. Which is it? He can’t be both falling short of expectations and not have any expectations, right?
As he prepares for his second season, the Lakers are hoping that James can surprise them, and two areas of focus were revealed.
GettyLOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 17: Julian Champagnie #30 of the San Antonio Spurs and Bronny James #9 of the Los Angeles Lakers in the second half at Crypto.com Arena on March 17, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
Bronny James Needs to Add Confidence
At his best, Bronny is a solid facilitator and above-average defender. His scoring marks from last season left a lot to be desired, but the Lakers won’t be counting on him to stuff the stat sheet.
In order for him to compete with Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, Gabe Vincent, and Marcus Smart for minutes, he needs to focus on only two things.
“There are two things,” outlined The Athletic’s Dan Woike on September 30. “One, like, where’s your confidence at?”
Dating back to summer league in his rookie season, James looked lost, often overwhelmed by the pace of play. In short, he did not look like a player who wanted the ball in his hands.
This summer, Los Angeles addressed that head-on by slotting him in as their starting point guard at summer league, and it seemed to work wonders.
If he can improve his ball-handling and decision-making, he might earn enough trust to be given an extended run throughout the season.
Bronny James Must Double-Down on Defense
However, James won’t be tasked with running the offense for 20 minutes each night. Instead, the Lakers will demand seven excellent minutes of defense.
“I think the second thing they talk about is he needs to be in awesome, awesome shape,” Woike added. “And what they mean by that is like the ability to go in and play like six or seven minutes of just like high octane defense. And that’s exhausting. That’s just really, really hard to do in the league.”
LeBron made a long living in the NBA thanks to his strength, speed, and athleticism. Bronny is an above-average NBA athlete, but he is not elite like his father is. In order to carve out playing time on a team with title hopes, he has to bring something to the table aside from the last name on his jersey.
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