In a few months, Bronny James will enter his second season in the NBA with the Los Angeles Lakers. He's faced countless criticisms for years because of who his father is, but the truth is that Bronny has a chance to have a solid career in the league. One thing that would significantly boost his odds of that happening is if he can eventually knock down three-pointers consistently.
Bronny shot 28.1% from deep in the 27 games he played for the Lakers this past season. He shot 38% from three with Los Angeles' G League affiliate on a higher sample size, averaging 8.4 attempts per contest. In NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, Bronny is shooting 30.4% from three (7-of-23), with his best performance coming against the Clippers on Monday after he shot 3-of-5 from deep.
To have a shot at being a rotation player in the NBA, whether it be with the Lakers or elsewhere, Bronny needs to develop a better shot from deep.
He recently said that he knows he has to be "a defensive menace" (subscription required). That end of the floor is what he's focused on, but it's only part of the equation. If he were ever to become a three-point threat while being the defensive pest he wants to be, Bronny would carve his own role out.
Bronny James needs to become a threat from deep
It's important to remember that he's only 20 years old. Los Angeles didn't draft him because the front office thought he'd turn into a star. He was the No. 55 pick. Yes, his father is LeBron, but the Lakers see something in him, too. It's up to him to prove his value.
Although Bronny has shown improvement from last year to this year, the truth is that he still has a way to go before he gets consistent NBA minutes. When you're on the same team with players like LeBron and Luka Doncic, you have to work even harder to receive minutes, much less regular minutes. Bronny is still developing, but so far, he hasn't done that.
He can't snap his fingers and turn into a knockdown shooter, or else he would've done that by now. It's never been who he is on the court, but he can try to change that. It would help him hang around after his doubters thought he'd exit the league.
Bronny has the work ethic and attitude to be an NBA player, but he needs more than that to hang around in this league.