If the Los Angeles Lakers' regular season finale against the Utah Jazz was any indicator, Bronny James may have a role in the playoff rotation for JJ Redick. James was a clear standout during the Lakers' comfortable 131-107 victory over the Jazz on Sunday.
In 19 minutes off the bench, Bronny provided the his team with 11 points, shooting 4-of-7 from the field and 3-of-4 from beyond the arc, four assists, and one steal in the win. That subtle clues about James' potential playoff role come from more than just the production, though.
Redick has talked about finding nine guys for the NBA Playoffs on multiple occasions. In the first half, there were 10 Lakers who got minutes. James was in direct competition with Nick Smith Jr. for the guard minutes off the bench.
Smith got the early nod, playing more in the first half, but the Lakers head coach ultimately hinted there may be more confidence in James overall. When Redick rested LeBron James and Luke Kennard for the second half, Bronny was one of the two players elevated to start in their place.
Bronny James may already be locked in for Lakers playoff minutes
James immediately rewarded his coach's faith in him after the third quarter start, too. Bronny played all 12 minutes in the frame and collected his entire scoring output, notching those aforementioned 11 points, in the third.
Another strong showcase makes James an easy frontrunner for the ninth man in the rotation. It certainly is not an open-and-shut case, but there is a ton of reason to believe that spot is his.
Redick rolled out Marcus Smart, Kennard, LeBron, Rui Hachimura, and Deandre Ayton as his starters in the final game. One can reasonably estimate that would be his starting five for the postseason.
From there, Jake LaRavia has a clear spot locked up. As does Jaxson Hayes, once he finally returns from his foot injury.
One of Maxi Kleber or Jarred Vanderbilt should be expected to grab the eight spot. However, the loser of that decision would not be expected to immediately slide to ninth. Neither of them play the spot that Redick would need from there.
Enter Bronny.
Redick has until Saturday to decide whether Bronny or Smith gets the initial crack at providing those guard minutes off the bench for his team in their first-round matchup against the Houston Rockets. if the season-ending stretch has provided the right intel, James looks to be the favorite as of now.