Tag: Give

For obvious reasons, Bronny James is the most famous player in the NBA that hasn’t actually done anything yet as a professional basketball player. That’s what happens when you’re the son of arguably the greatest player of all-time. Bronny’s time in college was limited by a heart condition, and everyone knew when he was drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers this summer that he was a project that would need time to develop. There’s plenty of time for him to make his mark, but he’s understandably not there yet.

Bronny has been scrutinized just because of his famous family tree, but to his credit, he seems to be a good dude that just wants to make his own name for himself in basketball. Bronny has bounced back and forth between the G League and the NBA, and though he hasn’t yet had the chance to show his stuff in any meaningful way with his dad’s team yet, his play in the G League showed that he’s more than just a nepo baby.

It’s been a really difficult week for the Lakers and everyone else in Los Angeles as they’ve dealt with the devastating wildfires that have swept the area. Head coach JJ Redick lost his home in the blaze, and he’s said that he wants the Lakers to be able “to bring joy” to the community with their play, but it’s been understandably tough to balance the fear and grief of the week with the ability to go out and perform at a high level.

L.A. has lost three straight games and has had two others postponed. This is a team in need of a shake-up, and crazy though it may sound, Bronny could provide that. Here are three reasons the Lakers should start giving him some playing time.

Bronny has missed the last seven South Bay Lakers games because he’s been on the NBA roster, and in that time he’s played a grand total of three minutes for L.A. That doesn’t help him develop, and it’s especially egregious since he was showing real signs of growth before getting called up.

Just as a Major League Baseball team will let a prospect stay in the minors to get at-bats every day rather than let him languish on the big league bench behind an established veteran, the Lakers need to do right by Bronny. If he’s going to stay in the NBA, that’s fine, but JJ Redick needs to get him some time on the court, even if it’s for just a few minutes each half.

Like anything else, basketball is a game that rewards players who learn from their mistakes. Bronny’s been far from perfect in the G League, but he has shown real potentia. How else will he improve his shooting or learn to limit his turnovers if he’s not on the court? Use it or lose it, Lakers.

Bronny is just a second-round rookie, and those players don’t tend to get many NBA minutes right out of the gate, if ever. Gabe Vincent is a six-year veteran, so what’s the excuse to be giving him more than 20 minutes per game when he’s doing so little to help the team?

Vincent has done nothing to prove that the Lakers were smart to sign him to a three-year deal last year. His three-point shooting is barely over 30 percent, his overall field goal percentage is a ghastly 36.8, and he’s not an impact guy on defense.

The Lakers can’t profess to be chasing a championship and still give someone like Vincent real minutes. He is what he is at this point of his career, but maybe Bronny could blossom into a useful role player if he’s only given the chance.

The Lakers don’t want to admit that Vincent’s three-year, $33 milion contract is a sunk cost. Like it or not though, that ship has sailed. It would actually be surprising if Rob Pelinka didn’t include him in a trade deadline deal. Until then, give Bronny some run.

Pelinka has already traded for Dorian Finney-Smith and Shake Milton, and as we just said, he may not be done making moves. He still has over three weeks to make another trade, but there’s one asset the Lakers are set to acquire that won’t even cost them anything, because Jarred Vanderbilt is set to make his season debut soon.

The addition of Finney-Smith was a big blow to Bronny’s chances of getting meaningful playing time, as he’s the actualized version of what the Lakers hope Bronny will eventually become: a 3-and-D wing that helps the team on both ends of the court. Once Vanderbilt comes back, the situation will be even more dire for Bronny.

Vanderbilt is a defensive difference-maker, which is something the Lakers and their bottom-third D badly need. Redick said that his return is “imminent” on Sunday, but that he wouldn’t rejoin the team this week. He’ll likely need some time to ramp up to major minutes, but it sure sounds like he’ll make his debut next week.

That doesn’t give Bronny much time to crack the rotation. If he’s lucky, Vanderbilt won’t be back by time the Lakers face the NBA-worst Wizards on Tuesday. If there’s ever a time to see what Bronny can do, that’s it.