Bronny James is the most important player to watch on the Los Angeles Lakers this training camp and preseason, as he needs to develop into a staunch defender if he wants to earn legitimate playing time this year. On The Athletic NBA Daily podcast, Dave DuFour discussed James’ potential role as a defender, expressing his confidence in the point guard’s ability to make an impact on that end of the floor.
“I think he can play,” DuFour said. “I don’t know if he can be in your regular rotation. But I think he can play. The offense is still a little rough, but defensively, I actually think that he has a real chance to be a very good defensive player.”
Training camp and the preseason will be James’ best chance to show off what he can do.
What does Bronny James need to do?
James didn’t play much last year. And he didn’t earn much playing time in the G League, either. He got some run at Summer League in Vegas, but he needs to play real minutes on a consistent basis if he wants to significantly improve.
That’s where the preseason could come into play. Depending on how many minutes the regular guys get, it might be James’ best opportunity to show off his skills (on both ends of the court).
As JJ Redick looks to complete his rotation throughout the course of training camp, James will need to show out. The Lakers may not have the deepest roster, but James is only going to be a sophomore in the NBA, and they do have some vets at the guard position.
For all his faults, Gabe Vincent is still a tough defender and can get hot from behind the three-point line. LA also signed Marcus Smart in free agency, and though he’s dealing with an injury right now, he’ll certainly be able to make an impact on the defensive side of the ball. That’s his speciality.
At the same time, having those two guys on the roster should provide James with a perfect chance to learn about defense at the NBA level.
The Lakers couldn’t have picked a better defensive mentor for James than Smart, who won the Defensive Player of the Year award as a guard in 2022. Add in Vincent, whom James has already formed a relationship with, and James should gain some very valuable insight this year.
James is still only 20 years old. He has plenty of time to grow. But this training camp and preseason will be crucial for his development.