Los Angeles Lakers guard Bronny James faces intense scrutiny as he prepares for his second NBA season, but NBA trainer Chris Brickley believes the young guard is ready to make a major leap.
The son of LeBron James, the NBA’s all-time leading scorer and a perennial contender for the title of greatest of all time, Bronny has dealt with both enormous expectations and unwarranted criticism.
NBA Trainer Sees Promising Future
Brickley, who has worked closely with the father-and-son duo, says Bronny did not deserve the hate and predicts that the 20-year-old guard’s best basketball is still ahead.
“It’s [expletive] ’cause at the end of the day, he didn’t choose to be LeBron’s son,” Brickley said on “The Breakfast Club” on Sept. 1. “He’s a great — he’s literally a great kid. And you can tell it’s a sore spot for the family. I wouldn’t want someone messing with my kid. None of you guys would. But Bronny’s actually really good. I think he’s just gonna peak in a year or two.”
The endorsement from Brickley underscores a growing belief that Bronny could become a meaningful contributor as he gains experience and confidence at the NBA level.
Rookie Season and Challenges
Selected 55th overall in the 2024 NBA Draft, Bronny entered a crowded Lakers backcourt and faced the challenge of living up to his famous surname. He finished his rookie season averaging 2.3 points in 6.7 minutes across 27 games, including one start.
Despite modest numbers, the Lakers’ coaching staff remains optimistic.
“I love Bronny. Great young man and we expect him to possibly get some minutes this year,” Lakers associate head coach Nate McMillan said on “The Sports Shop with Reese and K-Mac” on Aug. 5.
Bronny’s Summer League Growth
Bronny’s second NBA Summer League showed marked improvement. He averaged 14.2 points on 47.6% shooting, 3.8 assists, and 2.8 rebounds, a significant jump from his rookie Summer League performance of 8.8 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.0 assists on 35% shooting.
“We’ve seen a lot of growth from year one,” McMillan said. “He had, I thought, a really good Summer League this year. A young guy like that coming in with this type of pressure that he came into the league with last year was unbelievable. His games were sold out, and the fanbase has really been supportive of him.”
G League Confidence Boost
Much of Bronny’s development came during his G League stint last season, where he averaged 21.9 points on a 44/38/82 shooting split, along with 5.3 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 1.9 steals over 11 games. McMillan noted that the experience helped Bronny gain confidence, sharpen his skills, and become more relaxed under pressure.
“His shot was never broken, but the confidence, you could see he was knocking down those shots, getting to the basket,” McMillan said. “When he came out into this Summer League… you could see the confidence. He was much more relaxed than he was last year.”
Can Bronny Crack Lakers’ Rotation?
As Bronny enters his second NBA season, Brickley’s prediction provides a compelling storyline for Lakers fans: a young player poised to rise and carve out his own identity, away from the shadow of his legendary father.
With Summer League growth and G League seasoning under his belt, Bronny appears ready to turn promise into performance, potentially peaking in the next one or two seasons.
Will he crack the Lakers’ rotation this time?
Only time will tell.
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