JJ Redick spoke after the Lakers‘ 118-114 preseason loss to the Suns about LeBron James and his son Bronny sharing the court together. He noted that he wanted to give the father-son duo a chance to play together in the preseason, and the second quarter felt like the right time to give them said chance.
“I thought the stretch was okay… That was during a stretch where I think we had some issues with our transition defense. Just getting matched. I liked what I saw throughout the first half with all the groups we tried. In terms of the ‘Why’, just wanted to give them a chance to play together in preseason. Within the flow of the game, and how we had done the substitution patterns in game one, that was the right time to do it.”
It was a historic moment, as fans around the world got to witness a father-son duo play together in the NBA for the first time, albeit in preseason. The first official time the two play together when the NBA season begins will be an occasion that will be celebrated even more so.
It was a night of two stores for father and son. LeBron James had 19 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 blocks, while just playing 16 minutes in the first half. As for Bronny James, he played 13 minutes across both halves and put up 2 rebounds, while picking 3 personal fouls and racking up 4 turnovers.
Fans were not happy with the way Bronny played tonight, as his late-game errors played a big part in the Lakers losing the game to the Suns, despite having a 16-point lead at one point.
It will be interesting to see if JJ Redick gives the James pair another chance during preseason to play together.
JJ Redick Treats Bronny And LeBron As All Other Players
JJ Redick also spoke ahead of the Los Angeles Lakers preseason game against the Suns. Speaking about how he manages the dynamic of the father-son duo of LeBron and Bronny James, Redick noted that he doesn’t look at them any differently, and only treats them as players on his roster.
“I don’t look at it any differently than coaching any other player or managing any other player-coach relationship. In fact, I haven’t lived this for a long time. But witnessing it, the coach-star relationship is always different too.”
“The fact that it is LeBron’s son is certainly a part of it. But, I’m not going to treat that dynamic or Bronny any differently than I would any other player. I will coach him and manage him just like I would Max [Christie] or Austin [Reaves].”
Bronny James will continue to get minutes during preseason, as the Lakers prepare for the new season beginning. While Bronny isn’t expected to factor into JJ Redick’s plans for the Lakers, giving him a run with the squad before he heads down to the G-League is a good way to prepare him for the NBA in the long run.
Tonight’s performance from Bronny showed just how much he needs to develop. He has the raw talent and the potential, but his game and level are far from where they need to be for him to survive in the NBA long-term.
Thank you for being a valued reader of Fadeaway World. If you liked this article, please consider following us on Google News. We really appreciate your support.
