Since the Los Angeles Lakers selected Bronny James in the second round of the 2024 NBA Draft, he has been the buzz of the town. Many people think that LeBron James, his father, is the only reason he plays in the NBA. But JJ Redick, The Purple and Gold’s recently appointed head coach, thinks he has a lot to contribute. In a recent interview with Sirius XM Radio, the forty-year-old detailed, in no uncertain terms, the type of player he saw Bronny developing into in the league.
At first, Redick disclosed that he had spoken with James Jr. on several occasions, one of which was extremely recent. He clarified that throughout their talk, he made Bronny’s position on the Lakers very clear, particularly what was expected of him defensively.
“What we’re looking for, is defensive ball pressure. I told him [Bronny] this yesterday. I said, ‘I don’t care if you have 10 fouls, I don’t care if you get blown by. What I do care about, is if you’re on the ball, or if you’re three feet off the ball. Like, you have to be a guy that’s a ball hawk at all times’.”
Then, JJ Redick gave Bronny some more appreciation, stressing his current status and his potential to contribute to the Lakers.
“We’re going to develop his shot, we’re going to develop his ball skills. He’s already got a great feel. He has a really good instinctive nature on the defensive end. I thought the third game of the Cali Classic, he made 8 or 9 really good defensive plays.”
JJ Redick talks about Bronny James’s play in comparison to Lu Dort
After that, the Lakers head coach revealed his vision for Bronny James’ future. The first thing he said was that he had just been to the exhibition between Team USA and Team Canada. In the competition, Redick acknowledged that he was particularly impressed by Luguentz Dort‘s play and how LeBron’s son might grow into the same kind of player.
“We were at the Canada-USA basketball exhibition game… And I said, ‘I think Lu Dort [Luguentz Dort] just single-handedly broke up the eighth possession of the game. Like his impact, you can’t get into your offense sometimes, the shot clock winds down because of his ball pressure. He literally blows up entire plays because of his pressure. And I really believe this, Bronny eventually will be that guy.
“[Lou Dort’s] impact – you can’t get into your offense sometimes. The shot clock winds down because of his ball pressure…Bronny eventually will be that guy”
JJ Redick wants to see Bronny James focus on defense as he talks with @TermineRadio, Ryan McDonough, and @Jumpshot8. pic.twitter.com/hJ28D3J1Qp
— SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) July 13, 2024
Lu Dort is a very skilled defensive specialist who is currently regarded as one of the greatest in the NBA. Bronny James would therefore ensure a lengthy career in the league if he could finally play defense at that level.
Still, Dort’s game doesn’t really end there. He’s also one of the top three-and-d specialists in the game, having shot a scorching 39% from three-point range throughout his career. Unfortunately, Bronny James hasn’t appeared to exhibit this side of himself yet, which is bad news for both him and the Lakers.
