After the Los Angeles Lakers drafted Bronny James in the second round of the 2024 NBA Draft, the media instantly started focusing on every step of his rookie season.
James dealt with more media negativity than any second-round rookie deserves. Despite all of the media attention, he remained focused on improving his game and taking advantage of the opportunities that were given to him.
Heading into his second NBA season, no one knows what to expect from James.
During his rookie season, James played in 27 games and made one start. He averaged 2.3 points, 0.8 assists, and 0.7 rebounds in 6.7 minutes per game.
The highlight of his NBA season was a game on March 20 against the Milwaukee Bucks when he scored 17 points on 7-for-10 shooting and also chipped in five assists, three rebounds, and a block.
In the G-League, James played in 11 games. He averaged 34.2 minutes per game, scoring 21.9 points to go along with 5.5 assists, 5.1 rebounds, and 1.9 steals. James also shot 44 percent from the floor and 38 percent from three-point range.
Looking ahead to his second season in the NBA, James spoke out with a strong message about his future in the league.
“There’s gonna be guys that can score 15, 20 a game,” James said. “I’m most likely not going to be that guy right now… I’ve got to be a defensive menace.”
Once again, James has shown maturity and understanding beyond his years. He has a lot of work to do offensively to become a dangerous scorer. However, he has the physical ability and athleticism to be elite defensively.
If he can become a defensive stopper, head coach JJ Redick will find a use for him in the rotation. Every contender needs to have an elite perimeter defender, which is an area that the Lakers struggled badly with last season.
Becoming an elite defender would be the best way possible for James to find minutes in his second season.
It will be interesting to see what the future has in store for James in Los Angeles. His dad, LeBron James, is currently heavily mentioned in trade rumors. Will that impact Bronny’s future with the Lakers?
No one knows the answer to that question. Despite that fact, James seems to have the right mentality about his future with the team and how to force his way onto the court.
