Playing home games in the G League only allows Bronny James to get the best of both sides: G League and NBA experience, while remaining close to the Lakers facility.
Kenny Smith says he needs to give Bronny James a break when it comes to his early struggles
Kenny Smith explains why it’s not unusual for a second-round pick to be made
Exercise seriously
Cutting through the fog of nonsense and discovering what’s important requires patience, discipline and focus.
It’s easy to get lost in the fog.
On the topic of Bronny James, you need to redouble the effort.
The most important thing is his development as a professional basketball player. Reasonable minds can disagree with a reasonable discussion – not everything has to be a shoutout – about what that looks like.
But every conversation about James starts with this premise: It’s an unprecedented situation. He’s just not your normal No. 55 pick of the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA draft.
That the son of one of the greatest basketball players of all time has enough ability to play in the NBA at the same time as his father is incredible. For that, a short but almost unbelievable list of factors must fall into place.
Considering that LeBron James and Bronny are the first father-son combination to pull that off, it will likely be a long time before we see it happen again.
And when you take all that into consideration, consider – and I’m not sure why this important detail isn’t given the weight it deserves – Bronny went into cardiac arrest in the summer of 2023, right before he started his freshman year at USC started.
Once again unique circumstances.
The decibels at the audit rose last week when it was announced that Bronny will not play in the G League road games for the South Bay Lakers. And the aggregators beamed at comments from ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, who said Bronny is getting special treatment.
To which I say: of course there is special treatment. We don’t have to be naive. Not the first time and not the last, and as long as Bronny does everything he can to make the best of his situation – and he does so with gratitude in every way – the cries of nepotism are muted. Filmmaker Sofia Coppola had an advantage as the daughter of Francis Ford Coppola. That’s why she didn’t win an Academy Award. Ultimately, merit rules the day.
By the way, Windhorst was judged based on his comments on “The Hoop Collective” podcast, and his vote carries a lot of weight. The way he said it doesn’t reflect the anger of the aggregators. But that’s media in 2024.
Regardless, it’s not unusual for young players, who may not get much playing time with the NBA team, to play only home games in the G League and not make any trips. Last season, 12 players on NBA rosters played only in G League home games. It happens, and it’s not specific to one team.
If you think it’s best for Bronny to spend the season in the G League and get playing time in the NBA’s developmental league, that’s fair.
But the Lakers have a plan that they believe is best for Bronny’s development. Starting at 9,000 yards, every NBA team has a philosophy on how to run its G League team, and from there teams create development plans for players who will spend time in the G League. Not every player has the same plan. Teams take into account a player’s mental and physical health and long-term and short-term goals.
Lakers G League player Quincy Olivari, who signed a two-way contract, is off to a great start for the South Bay. He is also 23 years old and played five seasons of college basketball. His development path will not be the same.
Bronny’s father is one of the smartest players to ever play basketball. New Lakers coach JJ Redick knows the game extremely well, general manager Rob Pelinka has a history of being an agent for some of the game’s best players, including Kobe Bryant, and Rich Paul, who represents LeBron and Bronny, is an influential agent . Add to that the institutional knowledge of the Lakers organization and basketball operations staffers, and that’s quite a brain trust charting Bronny’s development.
Playing in G League home games allows Bronny to get only the best of both parties: G League and NBA experience, while remaining close to the Lakers facility where he has access to world-class resources, including a training facility , physicians and athletic training staff. , coaching and player development coaches.
This was not a plan drawn up without thought, and it is a plan that takes several factors into account.
One month into Bronny’s rookie season, the long arc of progress is barely visible.
Follow NBA reporter Jeff Zillgitt on social media @jeffzillgitt
