On Friday night, Bronny James made his preseason debut with the Los Angeles Lakers. Following the team’s loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves, head coach JJ Redick spoke to the media about the rookie guard’s performance.
James played 16 minutes for the Lakers, shooting 1-of-6 from the field. Though he struggled to make an impact on offense, he did showcase his potential as a defender. Despite being undersized at 6-foot-1, the USC product led the Lakers with three blocks on Friday. His chase-down block on Nickeil Alexander-Walker had the fans at Acrisure Arena buzzing.
Even though Bronny has a lot of work to do on offense, Redick spoke highly of the 55th pick.
“He can do some things defensively at his size that are really unique, and I think can turn into a really disruptive defender,” Redick said. “That manifested itself. On the offensive end, he’s still figuring out who he is. That’s our job as a player development program just to build him in.
“But truthfully, he’s so easy to coach. He’s got a great soul and just a great energy about him. I like being around him. I’m rooting for him. He’s a good player that we’re happy to have in our program.”
Redick has already stated multiple times that he won’t rush Bronny’s development. If he needs to start off in the G League, then so be it.
The Lakers will get to see more from Bronny and their 2024 squad on Sunday night when they take on the Phoenix Suns.
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