Bronny James has struggled in his opening video games for the Los Angeles Lakers. He went 3-of-14 from the sphere when going through the Houston Rockets in Las Vegas Summer season League motion on Friday. Since getting into the NBA, the media highlight on the rookie guard has intensified, and it’ll solely proceed to get brighter.
Throughout a current look on Sirius XM NBA Radio, Lakers head coach JJ Redick in contrast James’ upside to that of Lu Dort. The Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder star is an elite on-ball defender who additionally operates as a glue man for Mark Daigneault’s staff.
“He is a improvement participant,” Redick stated. “…What we’re searching for, is defensive ball-pressure … Lu Dort’s affect — you possibly can’t get into your offense generally. The shot clock winds down due to his ball strain. He actually blows up complete performs due to that strain. And I actually imagine this: Bronny finally shall be that man.”
Dort completed final season within the 82nd percentile for defensive estimated plus-minus. He was arguably a top-five on-ball defender within the Western Convention. His presence is a big a part of the Thunder’s current success, and it is why he began 79 video games for the rising powerhouse.
James has a protracted solution to go to achieve Dort’s degree of protection. It’s going to take numerous hours of labor behind the scenes. His conditioning and total strategy to the sport should additionally enhance. Nonetheless, if the Lakers can work with the rookie guard to get him to an identical degree, Los Angeles would have struck gold with its late second-round choose.
In fact, Redick’s expectations might show too excessive for James, and he could battle to achieve such a lofty objective. Nonetheless, it is clear that Redick views the younger guard’s finest function as a defensive stopper. The problem for followers shall be that protection is much more durable to quantify by way of the field rating or a stat sheet.
James will undoubtedly obtain a big quantity of scrutiny and criticism within the coming months. Nonetheless, if he can emerge as a high-level point-of-attack defender, he would be the one to have the final snigger.
