Realistic Preseason Expectations for L.A. Lakers Rookie Bronny James

Before Bronny James even hits the NBA hardwood, he'll be a history-maker.

He's a history-maker already, actually, and has been since June 27. That's when the Los Angeles Lakers spent the No. 55 pick on him, cementing him and his dad, LeBron James, as the league's first-ever active father-son pairing.

As such, all of Bronny's movements will be—and have been—made under the collective eye of the basketball world. It's why we're writing this article, and it's why you bothered to open it.

Most second-round picks never approach anything close to this level of attention, but James isn't a normal second-round pick. He's the firstborn son of NBA royalty, an heir to a hoops throne.

All steps of his NBA journey will be fascinating, so we're here to plot a realistic path for his first taste of the preseason.

With the younger James likely to spend the bulk of his rookie season in the G League, he won't get many opportunities to share the floor with his father. Any time that happens, though, it will create a viral frenzy.

In fact, it's such a big deal from a historic perspective, that the Lakers have already put thought into how they'll make that happen.

"We obviously have talked about it as a staff, and we've gotten into some specifics of what that might look like," Lakers coach JJ Redick told reporters. "But we haven't committed to anything."

The father-son floor time will be most notable the first time it happens in a regular-season game, but L.A. can, should and almost certainly will whet everyone's appetite with some preseason glimpses of this never-before-seen partnership.

Admittedly, most fans don't tune into the NBA preseason in hopes of finding lockdown defense. For those wanting to catch Bronny at his best, though, their attention should be affixed to the game's less glamorous end.

His toolbox is full of all the intangibles that make a pesky defender. His effort level is high, his instincts are strong (particularly for a rookie who logged fewer than 500 minutes at the collegiate level) and his hands are quick enough to cause havoc.

He has some physical attributes working in his favor, too. He may not have been blessed with his dad's size—Bronny measured just 6'1.5" at the combine—but he is an explosive athlete with impressive length (6'7" wingspan).

Search out realistic (or even optimistic) player comparisons for James, and you'll find players who really dig in defensively: De'Anthony Melton, Davion Mitchell, Patrick Beverley and, if you're really bullish, Jrue Holiday. Expect the Lakers to test James against some of the opposition's best perimeter players, and don't be surprised if he holds his own more often than not.

Fire up some Bronny highlights, and you might get excited about his shooting potential. His form looks good, and since you're watching highlights, you'll only see one make after the next.

In reality, though, the results have never measured up to the eye test. Whether due to mechanical flaws or something mental (or maybe both), he has yet to find any consistency with his jump shot. At USC, James managed a rough 36.6/26.7/67.6 shooting slash. Things were no better at summer league, where he shot 35 percent from the field and 15.8 percent from distance over four outings.

"Bronny is an undersized non-shooting guard," an NBA scout told Kevin O'Connor, then with The Ringer, in April. "The shot looks good but doesn't go in. Those guys scare me the most. It's either lack of touch or mental, and either way, those take years to correct."

When James' shots are falling, it's a lot easier to picture him fitting into an NBA rotation. He might catch fire in a game or two this preseason, but it won't happen often enough to change the perception that he might be years away from making an impact at the highest level.

With LeBron approaching his 40th birthday this winter, and Anthony Davis advancing deeper into his 30s, the Lakers have one of the league's most extreme win-right-now timelines.

Now, those win-now demands don't require winning in the preseason, obviously, but they could shape how this new coaching staff handles the exhibition slate. Remember, Redick only has so much time to implement his system, so he'll want to give his players as many chances as he can to get experience in it before the results really matter.

The younger James will be a part of the preseason plan, but it's not as important for him to find a rhythm with the big-league Lakers when he'll so seldom be suiting up with them. As the season opener gets closer, and the club starts ramping up its rehearsals, players who won't be part of the regular-season rotation could see their opportunities dry up.

Redick will do everything he can to help his club hit the ground running. The Lakers might have grand designs on winning in May and June, but too many rough showings between October and December would force L.A. to fight an uphill battle in the fully loaded Western Conference. That pressure to perform sooner than later could squeeze the developmental players' preseason minutes, James included.

While James' actual preseason journey is yet to unfold, this much is certain: We'll all see, hear about and read about every step of the process.

The spotlight draped across his shoulders won't dim any time soon. His father is arguably one of two realistic, defensible answers to basketball's never-ending GOAT debate. James might be his own player, but his lineage might always be the most fascinating part about him.

That's why the basketball world has been in a Bronny craze for a while now. Name a 2024 draft prospect who was talked about more over the past calendar year. It's impossible. Granted, it wasn't a great year for blue-chip prospects, but he'd have been a top talking point in any draft. The guy has twice as many Instagram followers as Victor Wembanyama, the 2023 top pick who has a non-zero chance of one day joining the elder James in those GOAT talks.

Even if Bronny's preseason minutes aren't much and his production is quiet, the coverage of it will be loud.