NBA
What will the Lakers rotation look like with Bronny James? Will he play a lot?
Bronny James was selected by the Lakers in the NBA Draft - but will he play?
Bronny James being selected to join his father, LeBron, at the Los Angeles Lakers in the recent 2024 NBA Draft was an instant headline-maker. The young talent was not selected on the first day of the Draft, but on day 2 things changed when the 17-time champions selected James to join their squad.
Pick 55 out of 58, much had been made of which side - and when - LeBron’s son would be selected by a team in the elite. In the end the Los Angeles side took the plunge, and now the wait is on to see when he eventually features in the famous yellow jersey.
Will he actually play any time soon for the Lakers? It’s a huge question that needs answering, as the hype around the son of one of the greatest ever is not going away. However, we need to be careful, as Bronny is still just 19-years-old and needs to be given time to step into the unforgiving waters of the NBA.
Los Angeles Lakers current roster:
How much will Bronny James play for the Lakers next season?
Taking a look at the LA Lakers’ roster, we can see a plethora of top talent. They put up a good fight in the playoffs against the Denver Nuggets, but ultimately it wasn’t enough. Nobody will be expecting Bronny to make an impact in order to take them one step further, but the squad will almost certainly see some changes to the names as the year rumbles on, with an eye on catching the Boston Celtics, who now sit out in front on their own with 18 titles.
At a franchise like the Lakers, that pain of seeing the east coast side in the lead won’t be allowed to last for long: what new coach JJ Redick chooses to do with his squad is up for debate, but what’s certain is that they will be looking to go one and two steps further than their limits allowed them last season.
Whether or not Bronny forms part of that is, however, unlikely. The young player has no experience at the top and as of yet, he’s just not shown the output required to be able to make an impact on such a hugely talented squad.
Added to that, as mentioned, if the Lakers do make further, more senior additions, that only pushes Bronny down in the pecking order. Nothing is impossible in sport and perhaps Bronny never misses a 3-pointer in training and becomes the MVP of the season, but at this stage, we’re not likely to see a father-son assist combo any time soon. Barring an injury catastrophe to the squad or an exceedingly good season that allows for Redick to rotate drastically, expect to see James Jr in the G League when the season comes around.