Bronny James' third NBA season has been slightly disappointing out of the gate. While no one expected Bronny to be lighting the league on fire, there was some buzz about a potential rotation role with the Los Angeles Lakers this year. That hasn't come to pass through the first eight games of the campaign, somewhat because Bronny didn't play well during the preseason.
Bronny did play nearly seven minutes in the regular-season season opener against the Golden State Warriors (going 1-for-1 from the field with a turnover), but since then, he's appeared in only three games for LA, all in garbage time (less than two minutes on each occasion).
Bronny James isn't going to be a regular in the Lakers' rotation this season
Lakers head coach JJ Redick has his backup point guard in Collin Sexton. Redick's rolling with Sexton, Austin Reaves, and, of course, Luka Doncic as the team's ball-handlers.
Redick apparently doesn't trust Bronny enough to be giving him regular minutes, and that's certainly fair. Bronny's not even close to as good as Sexton is, and it feels like James Jr. will only see big minutes this year if Sexton or one of Reaves/Doncic gets hurt. Even then, the Lakers might acquire another guard who's better than Bronny to fill in.
None of this is meant to disparage Bronny, who at 22 years old still has a bright future ahead of him in this league. I believe that. He's got a ton of skills that should make him a rotational guard eventually: elite athleticism, strong outside shooting, and a high basketball IQ, to name the attributes that stand out most prominently.
But Bronny's going to have to carve out a clear identity in this league in order to make it. And the good news is, Bronny has a convenient blueprint right in front of him in the form of Miami Heat point guard Davion Mitchell.
Davion Mitchell is the NBA player Bronny James should aspire to be like
Mitchell has a lot in common with Bronny from a physical standpoint, which is one reason why this is a good comparison. At 6-foot-nothing, Mitchell is vertically challenged, but he makes up for it with extreme quickness and strength. The 28-year-old former lottery pick has always been an elite defender (he was Naismith Defensive Player of the Year in college), and he's improved his offense throughout his NBA career considerably.
Mitchell's now a starting point guard in the league, and he looks awesome right now for a Heat squad that desperately needs good guard play from someone after decimating their depth chart in the Giannis Antetokounmpo deal.
Mitchell is absolutely delivering the goods for Miami so far this season, averaging 16.0 points and 8.0 assists per game (both career highs), with that assist figure ranking fourth in the NBA right now behind only Luka, Nikola Jokic, and Trae Young.
Mitchell's also shooting the heck out of the ball so far, taking five threes a game and hitting 45.7 percent of them on the young season.
On Monday night in LA, Mitchell went 4-of-4 from 3 against the Lakers and finished with 15 points and seven assists to just one turnover. Hopefully, Bronny was paying attention.
Bronny James has a few huge areas of improvement before truly arriving as an NBA guard
Mitchell is living evidence that small guards are not completely extinct in the NBA, so long as you defend like a bulldog, hold your own physically, knock down 3s, and take care of the basketball.
That last part is where Bronny needs the most work. His lack of game experience (due to a shortened college career) has left Bronny without a ton of craft or savvy when it comes to running an offense as a lead guard. He has excellent instincts, but he hasn't sharpened those instincts through enough reps against pro competition (yes, more time for Bronny in the G League is needed). Mitchell's certainly had his reps (including plenty in the G League), and he's now in a great position in the NBA.
Bronny can become just as good a shooter as Mitchell currently is, and Bronny also has a bit of a size advantage. The areas of improvement are mental toughness, confidence, and the aforementioned ball-handling/decision-making element.
It's a lot to ask of Bronny, but at least we know there's a road map for him to find a real role in this league. And there's plenty of runway left for James Jr. to figure that stuff out. Whether or not that will happen with the Lakers is another question. Mitchell's on his third team right now, and he looks better than ever.
Add us as a preferred source on Google