The Los Angeles Lakers enter the playoffs already wounded. Luka Doncic is out indefinitely. Austin Reaves is out, too. LeBron James will carry the load, as he has in the last few games. But behind him, the rotation thins out fast, and somewhere near the bottom of that list is a 21-year-old who averaged just 8.9 minutes per game this season. His name is Bronny James. And the Lakers may genuinely need him.
JJ Redick was quiet honest after the practice, as per Lakers Nation:
“We’re gonna have to have all hands on deck for the series. He’s got to be ready.”
JJ Redick
It is worth reflecting upon that statement. Redick did not assert that Bronny would be prepared. What he said was that he must be. There is a difference between the two. One is an expression of belief. The other is a hope. “I know there was a stretch recently where he didn’t shoot it well and of course, he had a nice shooting game against Utah. He’s improved a ton defensively in terms of his body positioning, both on and off ball. We want him to continue to evolve as a disruptive defender as well.”
JJ Redick
Bronny James Finally Gets What He Earned, But Not How He Wanted It
The reality is that Bronny was not the one who excelled to get this opportunity. In fact, two of his teammates are injured. The spotlight did not come to him because he barged the door open; it came because the door was broken. It is not to say that his work ethic is wrong; he has indeed worked really hard over two stints in the G League and has gradually won Redick’s trust. But the cruel irony is real.
To add to the complexity, we have already witnessed some on-court behavior. During a Lakers loss to the Dallas Mavericks on April 5, LeBron was clearly upset after Bronny made an entry pass that was too slow, too high and easily stolen, whereas a bounce pass would have been the natural choice.
TV cameras catch LeBron making a rather harsh gesture toward the floor, indicating that even basic decision-making under stress remains a major challenge. It was a regular-season game. The Rockets will not be as forgiving. The Houston Rockets are disciplined, physical, and dangerous. One scrambled possession, one misread rotation, one bad pass, and the Lakers’ bench becomes a liability Redick cannot hide.
Bronny deserves his moment. But the Lakers cannot afford to give him too many chances to find his footing at the worst possible time.
