Latest news with #BronnyJames'
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
NBA Executive Makes Bold Claim Regarding Bronny James' Role With The Lakers Next Season
NBA Executive Makes Bold Claim Regarding Bronny James' Role With The Lakers Next Season originally appeared on Fadeaway World. Bronny James' NBA career with the Los Angeles Lakers didn't get off to the greatest of starts, but he did show some promise in the latter stages of his rookie season. James had some solid showings and impressed in the G League, and a Western Conference Executive believes the Lakers want him to be part of the rotation next season. Advertisement "I don't think there's any doubt that's their plan," one Western Conference executive said. "I know the guy gets a lot of grief because of who his dad is, but we've seen a lot of tape on (Bronny) and the fact is, he was a lot better player in April than he was in October, and definitely in July." There is no denying that James improved a fair bit. The early signs were so bad that the Lakers were hammered for selecting the former USC guard with the 55th pick of the 2024 NBA Draft. James averaged 8.8 points, 3.5 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 0.8 steals, and 0.5 blocks per game for the Lakers in the Summer League. He was very inefficient, too, as he shot 35.0% from the field and 15.8% from beyond the arc. Things didn't get much better in the preseason either. James averaged 4.2 points, 1.7 rebounds, 0.3 assists, 0.5 steals, and 0.8 blocks per game while shooting 29.7% from the field and 8.3% from three. Advertisement That provided James' doubters with ammunition to claim he did not belong in the NBA and that he had only made it in because he is LeBron James' son. There was an avalanche of criticism coming his way, but he did eventually start playing better. James would end up averaging 21.9 points, 5.2 rebounds, 5.4 assists, 1.9 steals, and 0.3 blocks per game for the South Bay Lakers in the G League. He was a bit more efficient, too, shooting 44.0% from the field and 38.0% from beyond the arc. While some might dismiss G League performances, we are talking about someone who looked out of place in the Summer League at one point. James had taken some big strides, and the executive is backing him to be a regular for the Lakers in 2025-26. "He's 20 years old," the executive stated. "He had a whole year where his development was thrown all out of whack. But he can defend the perimeter, and he showed he can shoot the 3. Advertisement "If he can show that wasn't a fluke, he is going to start getting 10, 15 minutes a night because the team is going to feel like they can trust him," the executive added. "I think he is going to do all that. He is going to be a regular for them next year." This executive isn't the only one with this belief. Lakers insider Dave McMenamin thinks James could be a rotation player by midseason. That might be a bit too soon for the 20-year-old, though. James has shown some promise on the defensive end, and the outside shot is falling with greater regularity, but he didn't even come close to cracking the Lakers' rotation as a rookie. It was only when the team had an injury crisis that he got meaningful minutes on the court. If the Lakers were in rebuild mode in 2025-26, then maybe James, who averaged 2.3 points, 0.7 rebounds, 0.8 assists, and 0.3 steals per game as a rookie, could have been part of the rotation. They aspire to be serious title contenders, though, and you've got to be a pretty good NBA player to play significant minutes for a team like that. Related: LeBron James' Message To Bronny James Post Lakers Playoff Exit: "I'll See You When I See You" This story was originally reported by Fadeaway World on May 31, 2025, where it first appeared.
USA Today
16-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
USA Today evaluates Bronny James' rookie season in NBA G League
USA Today evaluates Bronny James' rookie season in NBA G League Bronny James wasn't going to figure it all out at once. How much closer is he to being a rotational NBA player? The 2024-2025 NBA G League season is now complete. That means Bronny James' first year as a professional basketball player is officially in the books. James spent the season on a two-way contract with the Los Angeles Lakers, playing the majority of the year with the team's G League affiliate South Bay. While he received call ups to the NBA on occasion, he will not be able to participate in the team's postseason contests, meaning that his season is now complete. In a recent story, USA TODAY Sports' Jeff Zillgitt evaluated James' first year as a pro. 'Considering where and how he started and where he is finishing . . . Bronny James' rookie season was a success filled with growth and promise under a hypercritical spotlight typically not directed at a late second-round pick,' Zilgitt wrote. 'Through intense scrutiny – and not because of anything he did – that included a verbal feud between his dad and ESPN's Stephen A. Smith, Bronny James has proven himself worthy of a second-round pick and a more-than-capable G League pro with the possibility of developing into an everyday NBA player.' Although James will be watching Los Angeles's playoff games from the bench, he will look to compete for a bigger role on the team in years to come.
USA Today
02-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Bronny James' G League season was a success; rookie showed growth and promise
Bronny James' G League season was a success; rookie showed growth and promise Show Caption Hide Caption How real are the Lakers as NBA title contenders? The Lakers have been on a roll since trading for Luka Doncic, but are they good enough to win a championship? From the start to the end of the G League season, rookie Bronny James improved. And James, the 55th pick by the Los Angeles Lakers in the second round of the 2024 NBA draft, proved his worth as a G League player and potential everyday NBA player. That was precisely the objective for James, the 20-year-old son of Lakers star LeBron James. Considering where and how he started and where he is finishing – the G League South Bay Lakers' season is over – with the chance to get playing time with the Los Angeles Lakers in the final two weeks of the NBA regular season, Bronny James' rookie season was a success filled with growth and promise under a hypercritical spotlight typically not directed at a late second-round pick. 'It was obvious to me from the moment I started spending time with him on the court this summer, he was certainly going to be an NBA player, and I still believe that. He'll be an NBA player,' Lakers coach JJ Redick said after a March 20 game against Milwaukee in which Bronny James scored 17 points, his highest output in an NBA game. On March 24, James posted a career G-League high 39 points on super-efficient 14-for-21 shooting, including 4-for-8 on 3-pointers, plus seven rebounds, four assists and four steals in a victory against Santa Cruz. 'The biggest area of improvement is probably just his playmaking, and I don't mean that just in terms of passing,' Redick said. 'But just his ability to play on and off the ball as a decision-maker, either a scorer or a passer. And with that, his confidence level and level of aggression has grown. For a young player, those are two really important things.' For his 18-game G League season, he averaged 18.6 points, 4.8 assists, 4.6 rebounds and 1.7 steals and shot 41.6% from the field, 33.6% on 3-pointers and 76.9% on free throws. Of the 374 players who appeared in at least 18 G League games, James was 43rd in scoring and was one of nine players to average at least 18 points, 4.5 assists and 4.5 rebounds. Here are G League stats of other players drafted in the second round last year (stats through Monday's games): Cam Christie, 46th pick: 16.4 points, 4.2 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.0 steals, 40.2% field goal shooting, 30.2% 3-point shooting, 80.5% free throw shooting in 40 games. Antonio Reeves, 47th pick: 24.9 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.4 steals, 47% field goal shooting, 41.6% 3-point shooting, 80% free throw shooting in 11 games. Tristen Newton, 49th pick: 16.5 points, 6.7 assists, 6.3 rebounds, 1.8 steals, 40.5% field goal shooting, 33.9% 3-point shooting, 76.7% free throw shooting in 34 games. Anton Watson, 54th pick: 12.1 points, 5.1 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.0 steals, 44.1% field goal shooting, 31.9% 3-point shooting, 65.1% free throw shooting in 37 games Cam Spencer, 53rd pick: 23.5 points, 3.6 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.0 steals, 53.8% field goal shooting, 49.3% 3-point shooting, 76.5% free throw shooting in eight games. Kevin McCullar Jr., 56th pick: 11.6 points, 4.9 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.7 steals, 39.3% field goal, 22.2% 3-point shooting, 78.8% free throw shooting in 13 games. A holistic approach is required when examining James' 2024-25 season spent in the G League and the NBA. When he was drafted in June, he was just 11 months removed from sudden cardiac arrest while working out on USC's campus the summer before his freshman season for the Trojans. To work through the mental and physical challenges of a life-threatening medical event and get back to the player he was on track to become – which was a first-round pick – time was also a necessity. Outside James, his family, his representation and the Lakers, patience was in short supply, and critics pounced immediately after James' entry into pro basketball didn't yield the kind of production that screamed 'He's an NBA player.' In his first two G League games, he was 4-for-19 from the field and 0-for-6 on 3-pointers, and he didn't play much for the NBA's Lakers. But he finished strong. He scored at least 30 points three times in the G League and showed potential as a scorer, shooter and playmaker. In his final nine G League games, he has improved on his season averages: 22.6 points, 5.3 assists, 4.7 rebounds and 2.0 steals per game while shooting 44.7% from the field, 36.7% on 3s and 82.6% on free throws. He has limited NBA playing time but his 17-point, five-assist, three-rebound performance against Milwaukee revealed what's possible. 'His confidence is growing,' Redick said. 'You mentioned the word comfort. That's certainly there for him, and the next step is just becoming like an elite, conditioned athlete because when he does that with his physical tools and just like his burst and his handle, we think he's going to be an above-average to a really good NBA shooter. He's going to have a chance to really make an impact.' The plan was to develop James into an everyday NBA player over the course of multiple seasons, which is not unusual for a second-round pick. 'Just putting my head down and working,' Bronny James told reporters. 'I feel like that's the only thing that I can control right now – going in every day and staying ready to play, staying ready to learn. Getting the work in after hours, early mornings, stuff like that. "Just all the controllables that I can do myself. There's not really much I can do of people, random people, talking about me every day. So I can't really do much about that. So I just go in the gym and work, put my head down and try to get better every day.' Through intense scrutiny – and not because of anything he did – that included a verbal feud between his dad and ESPN's Stephen A. Smith, Bronny James has proven himself worthy of a second-round pick and a more-than-capable G League pro with the possibility of developing into an everyday NBA player. 'Since day one, I've just been impressed with the person that he is and to deal with the (expletive) because of who his dad is and just keep a level head about it and be a class act says a lot about him, says a lot about that family and the way LeBron and Savannah have raised him,' Redick said. Follow NBA reporter Jeff Zillgitt on social media @JeffZillgitt
USA Today
26-03-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Bronny James' confident statement after career-best effort on Monday
Bronny James' confident statement after career-best effort on Monday Bronny James has come a long way in just a few months. As recently as January, while he was occasionally showing some signs of promise in the G League, there were still many people who doubted he had what it took to eventually become a legitimate NBA rotation player. But lately, he seems to be starting to prove those doubters wrong. He still has a long way to go before he proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that he belongs in the NBA, but last Thursday, he dropped 17 points on 7-of-10 shooting for the Los Angeles Lakers. Then, on Monday, he erupted for 39 points in the G League as the South Bay Lakers outlasted the Santa Cruz Warriors. James, the son of Lakers superstar LeBron James, made a confident statement shortly after his career-best effort on Monday. "I belong out here," the younger James said. "It's all I'm trying to prove." The rookie guard struggled in the fall with South Bay, but in 10 regular season games, he has averaged 22.4 points, 5.2 rebounds and 5.1 assists a game while shooting 46% from the field and 37.5% from 3-point range.
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
2025 NBA Playoffs: Updated standings entering play on March 25
With less than three weeks remaining in the regular season, teams around the NBA have already started to lock up their positions in the standings ahead of the playoffs on April 19. The top six teams in each conference will earn an outright playoff berth at the conclusion of the regular season. The next four teams will compete in the play-in tournament on April 15-18 for the last two seeds in each conference, respectively. Related: LeBron James comments on Bronny James' recent play with the Lakers With 9-12 games remaining on the schedule, 26 teams remain in contention to qualify for the postseason by either a playoff berth or a spot in the play-in tournament. The action projects to heat up with teams battling for playoff positioning in their respective conferences. Tuesday features eight games on the schedule, with several key seeding matchups to monitor throughout the evening. Here are the latest standings and updates: 8-GAME TUESDAY SLATE ‼️▪️ Jimmy returns to Miami▪️ OKC goes for 60 wins▪️ HOU (9-1 in L10) hosts ATL (seeking 4 straight) ▪️ DAL/NYK battle it out at MSG📺 TNT & NBA League Pass📲 — NBA (@NBA) March 25, 2025 Western Conference: Oklahoma City Thunder (59-12) Eastern Conference: Cleveland Cavaliers (57-14) Boston Celtics (53-19) Western Conference: New Orleans Pelicans (20-53) Utah Jazz (16-56) Eastern Conference: Charlotte Hornets (18-53) Washington Wizards (15-56) NBA STANDINGS UPDATE ‼️▪️ BOS (East #2) wins 6th straight▪️ IND (East #4) wins 5th straight▪️ PHX (West #10) wins 4th straight — NBA (@NBA) March 25, 2025 🏆 PLAYOFF PICTURE 🏆▪️ West 3-5 (DEN, LAL, MEM) all tied in loss column▪️ MIL & DET (East #5 & #6) separated by 0.5 gamesThe #NBAPlayoffs presented by Google begin April 19! — NBA (@NBA) March 25, 2025 This article originally appeared on Rookie Wire: 2025 NBA Playoffs: Updated standings entering play on March 25
