Bronny James should be studying Cason Wallace film to stick with the Lakers

The Los Angeles Lakers showed faith in Bronny James this summer, but they need him to crack the rotation to stick long-term. They want to compete for championships and need depth to do it. Bronny isn’t going to be an on-ball creator in LA. He must embrace the role Cason Wallace has played for the Oklahoma City Thunder as an undersized guard who plays stout defense, spaces the floor, and can create offense when needed. The Lakers should feed James tape of Wallace and convince him this is his path to playing time.

Head coach JJ Redick said Bronny should be studying TJ McConnell and Davion Mitchell in 2025. Both of those players have significantly more on-ball opportunities than James will get playing off Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves. The 21-year-old needs to embrace being a larger off-ball threat that can operate as a secondary creator when those needs arise.

Wallace was the tenth overall pick in 2023. He wants to be a starter and key contributor, but has bought into a lesser role in OKC. The 22-year-old just made second-team All-Defense. He continues to be a plus floor spacer and two-way weapon. That is exactly what the Lakers need Bronny to transform into if he wants to crack the rotation and get a second contract with Los Angeles.

Bronny James should take note of Cason Wallace’s role buy-in

Wallace averaged 8.6 points, 3.1 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 1.9 steals in 26.6 minutes per game last season. He knows he’s capable of producing more. The 6’3 guard had six 20-point games and six where he dished out at least six dimes. Wallace isn’t looking to maximize his production. He is fully bought into whatever role the Thunder need at the moment.

Bronny just talked about his ideal role being as a secondary creator, but the Lakers don’t need that. Doncic and Reaves will handle the shot creaton in the first unit. Los Angeles signed Collin Sexton this summer to be their sixth man. Coach Redick will stagger Luka, AR, and Sexton, which puts Bronny in a problematic position if he wants to create offense.

James knows he will play a lot off the ball. He said this in a recent ESPN LA interview.

“All across the board, I am trying to get better. I am playing with Luka (Doncic) and AR (Austin Reaves) still, so I’ll be off-ball when it is needed. I need to be able to knock down shots and create for others. I think I’ve been doing a good job of that this summer.”

Bronny went on to note he can be a secondary creator and is an all-around player that can do whatever is asked of him. The Lakers need him to do exactly what Wallace does. Embrace a lesser role when the stars are healthy and do more when they aren’t.

Bronny James must fire away when open

Wallace took 275 of his 288 3-point attempts when he was open last season, according to NBA Stats. He tried 3.7 per game with the defender at least four feet away. He isn’t attempting to do too much or press any issues. Wallace shoots when open, keeps the ball moving, and helps the Thunder win.

Bronny took over five 3-point tries each night during his 20 G League appearances last season. Teams will leave the young guard open until he proves he can consistently knock down jumpers. The Lakers need James firing away when nobody is guarding him.

Doncic and Reaves create a lot of open looks. The role players must knock them down. Bronny shot better last season, but everyone is questioning if that or his rookie campaign is the norm.

Bronny James has to improve his defensive intensity

James is a defense-first player so far in his NBA career. He has produced 0.5 defensive win shares and negative-0.5 offensive win shares. The struggles making shots and providing positive offensive contributions have left Bronny with a negative-0.5 value over replacement player (VORP) after two seasons.

Wallace is a menace defensively. He will guard the entire length of the court and is a master at creating turnovers. The 6’3 guard will jump passing lanes and try to contest every shot. He never stops and is always making an impact.

Wallace measured with a 6’8.5 wingspan at the 2024 NBA Draft Combine, which is 1.3 inches longer than Bronny’s. That matters, but the mentality shift would do wonders for James. He needs to pick up full-court and play with max effort. Wallace does those same things defensively that Redick wanted James to learn from McConnell and Mitchell.

The Los Angeles Lakers need Bronny James to embrace being Cason Wallace. The Thunder won a championship and reached two straight conference finals with Wallace buying into playing defense, shooting went open, and taking on a lesser role. James needs to be fully bought in to doing those little things to crack the Lakers rotation and get a second contract in LA.

Now is the time. The Lakers have a $2.4 million team option for the 2027-28 season in Bronny’s contract, and he’ll be an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2028. James has improved. He must keep growing and embrace a more off-ball role. Put the Wallace tape on and take plenty of notes. That is Bronny's path to a new deal and a long-term fit with the purple and gold.

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