The Los Angeles Lakers did not play any of their main rotational pieces on Friday night in their preseason finale against the Golden State Warriors. This opened up opportunities for players like new two-way guard Quincy Olivari and second-round draft pick Bronny James to play big minutes.
The results of the game were unimportant, as the Warriors played much of their main rotation. What mattered more is that the Lakers saw perhaps Bronny’s best performance since being drafted by the team back in June. He put up 17 points, four rebounds and three steals in 35 minutes of action on 7-for-17 from the field.
While he didn’t shine offensively the way Olivari did, his outing on Friday night caught the attention of one of ther greatest Lakers and greatest players in NBA history, Magic Johnson. The basketball legend and ambassador, was able to watch Bronny’s performance and had some hugely positive takeaways, via his social media:
Laker Nation, I have to tell you Bronny James is going to be a really good basketball player! Last night, he showed he has a few things you simply can't teach-high basketball IQ, athleticism, and a competitive spirit that makes him a tenacious defender! I believe after a lot of… https://t.co/HAyv1oQLvm
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) October 20, 2024
Magic also pulled on the history of the Lakers’ role player development program to show that James is in the right place to succeed moving forward:
Basketball fans, Bronny James is in good hands with the Lakers, who are great with developing talent. Two names that I can name recently that I’ve seen firsthand are Alex Caruso and Austin Reaves, who both are starters in the league today. Bronny will be next.
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) October 20, 2024
This combination is exactly what the Lakers were going for when they drafted Bronny at No. 55 overall. They saw all the same intangibles that Magic sees and have enough faith in their development team to help James hone in those skills and become a legitimate NBA player.
Playing defense at a high level and being unafraid on the offensive end are two very important skills for a role player, and Bronny already has both. Now, if he can build upon that within the Lakers development program, there’s a real chance he carves a career out for himself.
JJ Redick praises Bronny James for handling pressure
Along with being encouraged by Bronny James’ growth during the preseason, JJ Redick also touched on how difficult it may be for the son of an NBA legend to deal with all the pressure he’s dealing with off the basketball court.
“He’s a very grounded young man who is very coachable and has a very good head on his shoulders. A couple of conversations that I’ve had with him just about what it is like to be him. And I’m sure there’s some amazing things that come with being him. There’s probably some hard things that come with being him, too. And I think he’s handled it with a lot of class and grace.
“Again, I’ve said this a number of times, he’s a pleasure to coach.”
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