Reviewing the pluses and minuses for Bronny James so far
Hey everyone, Iâm Dan Woike, and welcome to the Lakers Newsletter, where Iâm posted up in Vegas bleary eyed and blackjack frustrated. The Lakers have played to full houses twice while losing a pair and turning their fansâ faces flush.
All things Lakers, all the time.
Get all the Lakers news you need in Dan Woike's weekly newsletter.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
But since only one thing apparently matters, weâve got to get into it.
On Bronny
One day after Bronny James scored two points and continued his three-point drought, a custom-designed throw rug depicting the No. 55 pick in the draft hung under a spotlight in the concourse at the NBAâs Summer League.
Enjoying this newsletter? Consider subscribing to the Los Angeles Times
Your support helps us deliver the news that matters most. Become a subscriber.
If the banners at the airport and the billboards on the highways havenât been enough reminders that Bronny is one of the biggest things in Vegas, the new rug for your living room is now available for purchase.
On Tuesday, James was mentioned by plenty of NBA scouts and executives, deconstructing his offensive struggles, wondering about the crowds that have come to watch the Lakersâ second-round pick scuffle under the spotlight.
It comes on the back of Jaylen Brown appearing to say that James âisnât a proâ â a sentiment he sorta walked back on social media Tuesday morning.
All of this is to say, that so far, the Bronny James experience has been more of a circus than anything else, kind of a worst-case-scenario start for a player that new Lakers coach JJ Redick said would be the test case for the teamâs developmental plans.
One rival general manager who considered drafting James bristled at some of the Lakersâ characterizations for James, noting Redickâs comparison to Oklahoma City wing Lu Dort.
âWhatâs the hit rate for second-round picks,â he wondered, âSomething like 10%?â
While there have been some skeptics when it comes to James and the Lakersâ choice to pick him â one evaluator said he wouldâve ranked James more as a training camp invitee than as a guaranteed roster player â most see at least some potential for James should things go right.
But while judgments based on summer league play should rarely be issued, a few things about James are starting to become clear.
One, heâs going to be under a tremendous amount of pressure whenever a lot of people pay attention. The way the crowd groans for his misses and erupts for his baskets isnât the healthiest environment for a young player trying to figure things out. And while the banners and the rugs and the NBA comps might have you believing otherwise, James is still a player with a lot to figure out.
Two, he has a long way to go â even in the areas that are supposed to be his strengths. Defensively, as a point-of-attack defender, scouts and executives have noticed some inconsistency with effort and effectiveness. He needs to do a better job with the little things and process decisions more quickly. None of this should be a surprise for a rookie guard at NBA Summer League. But when your jersey says âJames Jr.â on the back and âLakersâ on the front, a lot of reasonable expectations will be launched out the window.
Three, the volume on this stuff is going to remain loud. Rich Paul, Jamesâ agent, appeared on âThe Pat McAfee Showâ on Tuesday expressing confidence in his client while reminding people this is about development. The crowds are going to be big again Wednesday when the Lakers play Atlanta and No. 1 pick Zaccharie Risacher.
Four, plenty of smart people still think James has a chance. The positives, such as his length and athleticism, are tools that should help him as he works his way into an NBA role that he seemingly understands. And plenty of evaluators will tell you that looking at high-scoring players as a source for defense-minded impact isnât a safe bet (while they would all point out that Jamesâ USC offensive numbers are problematic). James has never expressed his desire to take over games or be some kind of star in the league. In his limited comments, he has spoken more about impacting games without the ball in his hands, a sign that he knows who he is and what he can do.
But five, there are just some big things that are real issues. Heâs too short to play shooting guard and definitely not ready to be a point guard, not even in summer league. His confidence seems to be suffering from 15 straight missed three-pointers to start summer. Also, those misses ... for a player who will someday be a three-and-D type if things go well, youâd want to see those start to fall.
A lot of this is based on projection, and talking about the realities of long-term projection isnât as fun as hitting the highs of who he could be someday or as satisfying to others who are gloating after every one of his misses.
Having a measured conversation about this is already exhausting, and none of these games have mattered and the specter of him playing with his father, LeBron, in an NBA game.
This was always going to be hard â a No. 55 pick making it in the NBA and becoming a valued player. A few days in, itâs pretty obvious that because of all the attention and dissection, it might end up being even harder.
Song of the Week
Some great father-son songs out there, and this might be one of the best.
In case you missed it
Lakers to hire Lindsey Harding as teamâs first female assistant coach
Is Bronny James a pro? Jaylen Brown doesnât think so: Heâs with Lakers âbecause of his nameâ
Joe âJellybeanâ Bryant, father of late Lakers legend Kobe Bryant, dies at 69
Olympics give LeBron James another chance to show his Midas touch
NBA Summer League honors Jerry West on first day of play
Until next time...
As always, pass along your thoughts to me at daniel.woike@latimes.com, and please consider subscribing if you like our work!
All things Lakers, all the time.
Get all the Lakers news you need in Dan Woike's weekly newsletter.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.