Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick is trying to push the envelope as much as he can with the current roster at his disposal. In the team’s 104-118 loss to the undermanned Philadelphia 76ers, he decided to throw a hail mary and check Bronny James in the first quarter to try and be Tyrese Maxey‘s on-ball defender.
Unfortunately, Bronny’s minutes were very poor as he was getting torched by Maxey while being a net negative on offense. Redick justified the decision to play Bronny by citing the need for his energy but admitted he put the 20-year-old in a tough spot.
“Just felt like on a back-to-back, just him giving us energy was the goal. I put him in a tough spot, flying out yesterday, nationally televised game, in Philly, all that stuff. He didn’t play well. He’s been playing great in the G (League), so I have confidence in him. But obviously, he didn’t provide that at a high level.”
James played 15 minutes in the game, notching 0 points (0-5 FG) with three rebounds and a block. He ended the game as a -8, although this number was boosted by his presence during the Lakers’ garbage time fourth quarter where they cut a 23-point lead to a 14-point lead.
Bronny was looking like a fish out of water when asked to guard former NBA All-Star Maxey, with the second-round pick out of his depth against a guard like Maxey.
This clip where Bronny tried to stay in front of Maxey but simply couldn’t match his explosiveness was a clear indicator of how far he’s from being able to defend elite guards in the NBA.
Bronny James is doing everything he can, you just gotta shake Tyrese Maxey’s hand after that pic.twitter.com/ZMedSFbG3Y
— Ahmed/The Ears/IG: BigBizTheGod 🇸🇴 (@big_business_) January 29, 2025
More plays like this where Maxey attacked Bronny and got easy buckets further highlight the difficult situation Bronny was thrust into. He has to be able to handle such matchups if he wants to have an NBA future, but just halfway through his rookie season might be challenging as a raw second-round pick.
What Tyrese Maxey is doing to Bronny should be ILLEGAL ðŸ˜ðŸ˜ðŸ˜pic.twitter.com/9RDzRMlxoo
— Hater Report (@HaterReport_) January 29, 2025
Bronny spoke about his minutes with the media after the game, repeatedly emphasizing his role in bringing ‘energy’ to the squad.
“I feel like I’m a whole lot more prepared now. Just coming out and staying ready after the G League stint and this season, down the road a little bit more, but I’ll just stay ready… (Maxey) He’s a fast guard with amazing touch and can shoot it. I was just trying to stand my ground and play as hard as I can and bring as much energy as I can.
Redick though giving Bronny some real minutes on a back-to-back might be worth it for his overall development as a player. But it wasn’t a good call from a tactical standpoint, as someone like Cam Reddish would’ve been a much better option in that situation.
If the goal was to defend aggressively and try to limit Maxey, Reddish would’ve been a better option as a long and athletic swingman with the capability to keep up with smaller explosive guards. His offense lets him down but Bronny isn’t a better offensive player either, so this was a developmental decision rather than a winning one.
Maxey ended the night with 43 points (15-26 FG), operating as the lead architect in the Lakers’ downfall tonight.
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