close
close

Apre-salomemanzo

Breaking: Beyond Headlines!

    • Bronny James and the Lakers deserve patience while charting their budding career
    aecifo

    Bronny James and the Lakers deserve patience while charting their budding career

    Umito Posted on

    Playing G League home games only allows Bronny James to get the best out of both teams – G League and NBA experience while staying close to the Lakers’ facilities.

    play

    Cutting through the fog of nonsense and finding what’s important takes patience, discipline, and focus.

    It’s easy to get lost in the fog.

    On the theme of Bronny Jameswe must redouble our efforts.

    What matters most is his development as a professional basketball player. Reasonable minds can disagree with a reasonable discussion – not everything has to be a party – about what that looks like.

    But any conversation about James begins with this premise: This is an unprecedented situation. It’s just not normal Choice #55 speak Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA draft.

    For the son of one of the greatest basketball players of all time to have enough ability to have the opportunity to play in the NBA at the same time as his father is incredible. For this to happen, a short but almost unbelievable list of factors must be in place.

    Since LeBron James and Bronny are the first father-son combo to accomplish this, it will likely be a long time before it happens again.

    MORE: What to know about the new TV deal that sees ‘Inside the NBA’ move to ESPN

    MORE: The best start in NBA history? Cavaliers improve to 15-0, one team left to chase

    And taking all of this into account, remember – and you’re not sure why this important detail doesn’t get the weight it deserves – Bronny suffered a cardiac arrest in the summer of 2023 just before starting his freshman year at USC.

    Again, unique circumstances.

    The decibels on scrutiny rose last week when it was reported that Bronny would not play in G League road games for the South Bay Lakers. And aggregators turned to comments from ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, who said Bronny was getting special treatment.

    To which I respond, of course there is special treatment. We don’t need to be naive. It’s neither the first time nor the last, and as long as Bronny is doing everything he can to make the best of his situation – and clearly he is doing it and doing it gratefully – then the cries of nepotism are stifled. Filmmaker Sofia Coppola had an edge as the daughter of Francis Ford Coppola. She didn’t win an Oscar because of it. Ultimately, it is merit that prevails.

    By the way, Windhorst has been measured with his comments on “The Hoop Collective podcast”, and his voice is important. The way he said it doesn’t match the anger of the aggregators. But that’s the media in 2024.

    Regardless, it is not unusual for young players who do not get much playing time with the NBA team to only play in G League home games and not make any travel. Last season, 12 players on NBA rosters played only in G League home games. It happens, and it’s not team specific.

    If you think it’s best for Bronny to spend the season in the G League and play in the NBA’s developmental league, that’s correct.

    But the Lakers have a plan they believe is best for Bronny’s development. At 30,000 feet above sea level, every NBA team has a philosophy on how to run their G League team, and from there, teams create development plans for players who will spend time in the G League. Not all players have the same plan. Teams take into account the player’s mental and physical health, as well as their long- and short-term goals.

    Lakers G League player Quincy Olivari, who signed a two-way contract, is off to a hot start for the South Bay. He is also 23 years old and has 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 the game of basketball. New Lakers coach JJ Redick knows the game extremely well, general manager Rob Pelinka has a history as 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 in the institutional knowledge of the Lakers organization and basketball operations staff, that’s quite a group of masterminds mapping out Bronny’s development.

    Playing in G League home games only allows Bronny to get the best out of both teams – G League and NBA experience while still being close to the Lakers’ facilities where he has access to resources world-class facilities including a training facility, doctors and athletic training staff. , coaches and player development coaches.

    This is not a plan made without thought, and it is a plan that takes into account several factors.

    A month into Bronny’s rookie season, the long arc of progression is barely visible.

    Follow NBA reporter Jeff Zillgitt on social media @jeffzillgitt

    Umito
    View all posts

    You Might Also Like