In a chat with NBA analyst Bill Simmons on his podcast, longtime basketball insider Bill Simmons revealed the Lakers’ potential plan for Bronny James. According to Lowe, Bronny could play as early as opening night in order to let him and his dad make history by sharing the court together.
Bill Simmons: “If he’s not playing for the first ten days, that becomes the story. Is JJ bearing Bronny?”
Zach Lowe: “He’s 100% playing in the game so they can have a moment together. That’s gonna happen. So they pass to each other or whatever it ends up being.”
As the new Lakers head coach, JJ Redick’s hardest task might just be handling Bronny James, the NBA’s most enigmatic young rookie this season. His skills are still somewhat questionable but his ties to LeBron demand that the Lakers give him a chance and that’s exactly what they intend to do on opening night.
LeBron James is on the verge of his 22nd season and this one is set to break new ground for the Lakers superstar. For the first time in his career and the first time in NBA history, James will get to suit up alongside his son this season and it’s a milestone that’s been years in the making.
After a first-round exit in the playoffs last summer, the Lakers shifted their focus to the draft where they picked up Dalton Knecht in the first round before calling Bronny’s name with the 55th overall pick. The kid had a modest season at USC but his work ethic and team-first mentality were enough to win the Lakers over.
In Summer League, Bronny’s development was the top priority and he showed flashes of star potential with averages of 8.8 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.0 assists per game. Now, with training camp on the horizon, the next phase of Bronny’s transition will begin and the Lakers will have a better understanding of who exactly they’re working with.
So far, James has shown strengths when it comes to ball handling and playmaking, two elements that he no doubt learned from his father. If he can develop his three-point shot as well, it could be all that Bronny needs to sustain a long and successful career.
Of course, for now, the plan is to ease him on slowly and develop a system that allows him to gradually improve his game. The plan will no doubt involve a lengthy G-League stint for James but it will only come after LeBron and Bronny have spent some time together on the court.
For his part, LeBron has been working for years to accomplish this goal. Thanks to effective healthcare strategies and pouring millions into medical treatments, James has extended his career long enough to be teammates with his son and his camp correctly set the motion in place for the Lakers to bring them together as soon as they could.
It remains to be seen if Bronny will keep his place in the rotation after opening night but we can only assume that he’ll have a chance to earn his spot before being relegated to the South Bay Lakers. One way or another, history will be mad next season and the James family will be at the center of it all.
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