Bronny James’ future might be coming at the rest of the basketball world quickly.
He played only sparingly as an NBA rookie with the Lakers while being a big-time contributor in his time at the G League level.
But one man who knows the Lakers very well, ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, thinks Bronny’s time is coming quickly.
This is what McMenamin said in a recent appearance on a Milwaukee Bucks podcast, Bucks+:
“I think he could be a rotation player by mid-season next year… He’s a 21-year-old kid coming back from a heart attack. He’s just developing as a person let alone a basketball player. It’s not like he could go somewhere in the shadows and do his work. It was a spotlight every single moment. He found a way to push through it and had a very successful G League season. Averaged 21 points per game on good shooting percentages. Certainly, his outside shot needs work because he’s going to have to consistently hit the three to get minutes with this group… He’s an elite athlete, but his motor is not always in your face… He can really impact the game defensively, too.”
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That’s really cool to hear.
Bronny’s story has been heavily scrutinized because he’s LeBron’s son, but it often flies under the radar how tough a one-and-done year he really had at USC.
It stands to reason that Bronny will continue to improve. He already did in his first professional season, putting up 39 points late in the G League season and then having a 12-point game in the final stages of the NBA regular season.
Bronny isn’t his father, but no one is. As his own player, he still has a bright future ahead.
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