It’s no secret that if Los Angeles Lakers rookie Bronny James is gonna be an NBA rotation player, he will have to develop his game.
Unfortunately, Bronny did not get to do that much at USC last season as his playing time was cut short due to a heart issue. The Lakers still went ahead and drafted Bronny in the second round though, making LeBron James’ wish of playing with his son in the NBA come true.
Most second round picks face an uphill battle to earn playing time though, and that is the case with Bronny, who is expected to spend a majority of his rookie season in the G League.
The good news though is that Bronny is known to have a stellar work ethic and has been in the gym all summer. Even though he struggled to begin the Summer League, his play improved steadily throughout, which was a testament to the work he was putting in behind the scenes.
That work continues as trainer Chris Johnson posted videos of Bronny working out, doing one-on-one drills with Darius Garland and Talen Horton-Tucker, via Clutch Points:
Bronny James working on his 1-on-1 game ??
(via @ChrisJHoops / IG) pic.twitter.com/tFCtzXlhZj
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) August 28, 2024
Bronny’s offensive game, most notably his scoring ability, are skills he really needs to work on so it is good to see that he is doing so.
James is already an NBA-level defender at the guard position, and if he can improve his spot-up 3-point shooting and midrange game then he will be a quality player for many years to come.
Battling with established NBA players like Garland and Horton-Tucker is a good way for Bronny to prepare for the season, and it will be interesting to see how much progress he’s made when training camp rolls around.
Lakers owner Jeanie Buss appreciates Bronny James’ work ethic
One thing that has never been questioned through the draft process when it comes to Bronny James is his work ethic. That was instilled in him at a very young age though, which Lakers owner Jeanie Buss said she appreciated when talking about the newest member of her team.
“Yeah, I mean, again, we have to let the kid have an opportunity to play and prove that he should be in a Laker uniform. And everything that we’ve seen from him and about him and his work ethic, just some of the things he’s had to overcome being the son of a big star. He works hard, he’s dedicated. He really wants to do this. And if we can have a roster of players with that same mentality, then I think the sky is the limit.”
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