The guess the Lakers made on Bronny James at all times carried an amazing quantity of bags, their second-round draft decide inconceivable to separate from the crew’s star who made no secret about eager to play together with his son.
Bronny James’ first NBA look occurred on opening evening, lengthy earlier than he was prepared. His first factors, in Cleveland, got here when the sport had been determined. And his early G League outings had been solely mildly encouraging, if in any respect.
But after fading from the highlight due to a heel harm that price him a number of weeks, James returned to the Lakers’ South Bay roster, stunning loads of individuals by enjoying street video games, to not point out the numbers he produced.
In his final three G League video games, James has averaged 20.7 factors on 43.1% capturing whereas exhibiting flashes of being the sort of defender the Lakers hope he can become. James will play for the South Bay Lakers within the NBA’s G League showcase this week in Orlando.
“What we’ve stressed with him throughout the summer, preseason, early season was getting himself into elite shape so that he could be a high-level impact player on the defensive end,” Lakers coach JJ Redick mentioned after observe Tuesday. “And then he has the heel injury and has to lose some of that momentum. [But] we’re excited about what he’s done over the last two games and looking forward to see what he does in the lineup.”
James’ actual breakout recreation got here Thursday, when he scored 30 factors (and took 23 photographs) in a recreation. He adopted it up with 16 factors the following time he performed.
“Just keep stacking the days, keep putting in the work. The work always prevails at the end of the day,” LeBron James mentioned Sunday of the message to his son. “It’s just great to see him getting back into the flow, getting back to his game, getting back to him just playing free and going out and just playing the game that he loves and knows how to play. I loved his aggressiveness. He was aggressive from the beginning in both games all the way up to the end.”
The aggressiveness half is a problem with Bronny James’ persona. It was a knock scouts used towards him within the analysis course of earlier than school. But it surely, like anything Redick mentioned, might be realized if the motivation is there.
And team-wide, Redick mentioned he is aware of how he has to inspire his gamers.
“It’s not a punishment, it’s … you’re either going to do the things we’re asking you to do and you’re going to play or you’re not going to do those things and you’re not going to play” Redick mentioned. “It’s very simple. And that’s just the way I’m going to coach the basketball team going forward. So I think not just for Bronny, we, what we envision for him to be able to play and impact winning, he’s got to be able to baseline, do those things. It’s no different than Max Christie or Dalton [Knecht, the Lakers’ first-round pick]. And if you do those things, you will be rewarded with play.
“… The development process, if you’re clear with what you want and you’re doing those things that we ask, you’re going to get rewarded. So that’s in some ways how you teach it.”
Redick mentioned Tuesday that teaching Bronny James is totally different as a result of his scenario is totally different than another participant who has entered the NBA. None of them had LeBron James for a father.
“He’s got to get to the point where it’s OK to fail,” Redick mentioned. “I think he has a real reservation to fail. I think a lot of that is he’s had a camera on him since when he was 8 years old. I can’t, I can’t imagine [my sons] Knox and Kai having cameras at their rec league games. I think once he develops that, he’s gonna take off, like literally take off. He will do anything he’s asked to do. He’s done everything we’ve asked him to do.
Lakers guard Bronny James, left, blocks a shot by Trail Blazers forward Kris Murray, center, during a game Dec. 8 at Crypto.com Arena.
(Etienne Laurent / Associated Press)
“It’s just really part of player development, not just the physical skills and the physical development, but it’s the mental development as well.”
Christie mentioned the strain on any younger participant is magnified in a Lakers uniform, to not point out one with “James Jr.” on the again.
“Being on the Lakers brings a lot of added stuff just cause we’re the biggest franchise in the world,” Christie mentioned. “… It’s tough to fail on the Lakers because I feel like every mistake you make, at least I felt like this my rookie year and even last year a little bit, is highlighted in bold.”
Christie has come out of that some, even this season, utilizing the expertise from a nasty choice to foul on the finish of the Lakers’ loss to Oklahoma Metropolis to enhance in clutch conditions.
“It was not easy to fail,” he mentioned. “I felt like it was really tough. You’re looking on social media and all these negative comments and stuff like that. And so, I’ve learned to adapt and grow where I stay off of that now, for the most part. And also, inward with myself and my own voice in my head, my own confidence, my own self-esteem, learning that it’s OK to fail and knowing that you have to fail before you succeed. Failure is a stepping stone for success. You learn, you grow from it.
“I don’t know of any really talented person that has just had success all of their life. They failed at certain points in the spotlight. They failed in the dark. So you’re gonna fail at some point and you just have to take it on the chin and find a way to just get better.”
The Lakers and Christie suppose Bronny James can do this.
“I mean, the kid’s a good player, man. I mean, regardless of what everybody says about him, ‘He’s not good enough. Yada yada yada.’ The kid’s a good player,” Christie mentioned. “He wouldn’t be here if he wasn’t. So he’s grown a lot just being with us. I think having LeBron as someone that’s around him a lot, he’s learned. Obviously, he’s known a lot coming into this stuff. And then adding him into a team setting too, he’s asking a ton of questions, he’s being attentive to details, and you can see him kind of picking up a rhythm a little bit in the G League now.
“So, obviously, like I said earlier, you’re going to fail before you succeed and everybody has their own separate journey. And it just so happens that his is really in the spotlight. But some people don’t realize it takes time for somebody to get accustomed to something new, especially at the professional level. So he’s just taking his time. He’s taking his own steps. He’s going through his own journey and we all believe in him. Everybody in this organization believes in him. So that’s all you need for a young guy.”
