Former Los Angeles Lakers star Kwame Brown pointed out fundamental flaws in LeBron James’ son and rookie teammate Bronny James’ game.
Los Angeles Lakers rookie Bronny James’ game has flaws says Kwame Brown
There is no doubt in anyone’s mind that Bronny James is a work in progress. The recently turned 20-year-old has the athletic traits and knowledge to play in the NBA. But he needs to work on understanding concepts, improving his shooting as well as becoming a better defender.
These requirements have been laid out by Lakers head coach JJ Redick, who said that he will monitor the youngster’s progress. But till he does, James will only play sporadically for the Los Angeles Lakers. Former Lakers star Kwame Brown has analyzed the rookie’s game and is not happy with what he saw.
Bronny’s performance last night was horrendous. He don’t have an offensive rhythm right now so, s**t, be young. Nobody can control you being able to run. But I see a kid just coasting because he has a guaranteed contract. Anybody else in that position would be cut.
Kwame Brown said on the Kwame Brown Bust Life podcast
Kwame Brown accuses Bronny James of ‘coasting’ since the Lakers gave him a guaranteed contract and says any other player would have been cut if they had his level of production
“He don’t have an offensive rhythm right now so, sh*t, be young. Nobody can control you being able to… pic.twitter.com/DJzEkOvaQK
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) October 10, 2024
The former No. 1 overall pick made it clear that he was not bashing Bronny James. Rather he was critiquing his game. Kwame Brown suggested that the rookie showed a lack of fundamentals in his game, like the way he engaged opponents on defense or how he stood too upright and gave a driving lane for speedy guards to blow by.
The former center took shots at James’s shooting. He noticed that many times, defenders sagged off the young Los Angeles Lakers star as they knew that he was struggling to efficiently clock down shots.
Bronny James needs time to develop
Bronny James signed a four-year $7.9 million contract after being drafted No. 55 overall. That deal itself suggests that he will stay glued to the bench until head coach JJ Redick is happy with his progress. But it could be a long time before he can play regularly.
The other option to speed up his development would have been to play in the G-League. Guidance under a competent coach and the ability to start and play every game could help him gain much-needed knowledge. However, it seems like the Los Angeles Lakers are content with him learning from the sidelines.
When compared to the G-League, learning from observing his father LeBron James and the other players up front could be more valuable. Then if he puts in the work in practice, he could soon find some minutes to provide meaningful contributions. Then maybe his critics will back off.
