Bronny James was one of the most talked-about rookies last season. Selected 55th overall, most players picked that late face low expectations, but his case was different as the son of four-time NBA champion LeBron James.
This year won’t be much different, with all eyes once again on Bronny and whether he truly belongs in the league. Last season, he spent most of his time developing in the G-League, and in his NBA minutes, he often looked lost, with little feel for the game and minimal offensive impact. That’s normal for a rookie in his position. But could this season be any different?
If summer league was any indication, Bronny is starting to settle in, playing with better control and looking sharper on both ends. With Gabe Vincent, Austin Reaves, and Marcus Smart in the mix, minutes won’t come easy, but Nate McMillan sees a path for Bronny to earn some this upcoming season.
Per LakersNation:
“We’ve seen a lot of growth from year one. 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. When we played in the Las Vegas Summer League last year and this year, his games were sold out to see him. The fanbase has really, I think for the most part, been really supportive of him. He spent a lot of time in the G League this season and I really feel that helped him because when he came out into this Summer League…you could see the confidence. He was much more relaxed than he was last year. Everybody would have been as nervous as can be last season but he was much more relaxed this season. His shot was never broken but the confidence, you could see he was knocking down those shots, getting to the basket. Defensively, we wanted him to challenge himself to pick up the ball…I love Bronny. Great young man and we expect him to possibly get some minutes this year.”
