Realistic expectations for Bronny James during rookie season with Lakers

The Los Angeles Lakers have taken a calculated risk on Bronny James developing into a pro-caliber player. Regardless of how people may feel about his selection at the 2024 NBA Draft, he's a piece of the puzzle that must now be integrated into the long-term vision and rotation.

Patience will be required for this 19-year-old incoming rookie, but immediate value will be an expectation based on his name alone.

The question facing James and the Lakers is what the realistic expectations for his rookie season should be. Truthfully, it's a difficult question to answer based on the limited film that was provided during a freshman season at USC that was greatly impacted by his going into cardiac arrest.

It was a life-altering, let alone career-altering experience that has inevitably created question marks surrounding his short-term upside in the NBA.

In a previous article, we took a look at what fellow Lakers rookie Dalton Knecht can be expected to do during his rookie season with the Lakers. The approach here is a bit different, however, as James is unlikely to see much playing time at the NBA level as a first-year player.

As such, the projections for James are less about statistics and more about the areas in which he should see opportunities to grow—and how that might transpire.

Realistic Bronny James G League vs. NBA balance

James was a McDonald's All-American, as well as a Jordan Brand Classic and Nike Hoop Summit participant as recently as 2023. Unfortunately, he was also a player who missed USC's first eight games, as well as months of practice, during his lone collegiate season.

With this in mind, it's reasonable to believe that James will spend a vast majority of the 2024-25 NBA season with the Lakers' G League affiliate, the South Bay Lakers.

South Bay has been a valuable branch of the organization in the past. It's also topical that 2023 second-round draft pick Maxwell Lewis, who was selected at No. 40 overall, played 25 games with the team in 2023-24.

For that matter, 2023 first-round draft pick Jalen Hood-Schifino spent 15 games with the South Bay Lakers, albeit under Darvin Ham rather than JJ Redick.

It's fair to believe that James will receive the opportunity to contribute at the NBA level during the 2024-25 season. Injuries occur and defensive-minded players are often prioritized as far as filling in from time to time is concerned.

As far as the balance of games played is concerned, however, the Lakers will likely want James to get as many reps as possible in the G League.

Realistic Bronny James expectations: Areas of growth

WIth a stint in the G League established as the most likely outcome, the most pressing question emerges: In which areas can James be expected to contribute? Perhaps more importantly, in which areas can James be expected to improve?

A G League stint will likely be designed with the intention of putting the ball in James' hands and allowing him to make mistakes, all the while emphasizing his defensive development.

Playing in the G League will enable James to struggle offensively without impacting Los Angeles' postseason ambitions. That should provide him with the opportunity to improve his jump shot, handle, and court vision as a combo guard in a point guard's body.

If he proves himself to be an NBA-caliber off-ball player who can handle the ball effectively within the flow of the system, James could position himself for a steady role at the next level.

Defensively, South Bay will likely ask him to play with the same intensity that he's expected to provide in Los Angeles. It's the single most essential aspect of his development as a player, as his defensive prowess will go a long way toward establishing how consistently he can appear in the rotation.

It may not be the most statistically remarkable rookie season in NBA or G League history, but expect James to be enabled to make mistakes and defend without fear in 2024-25.