Exposure of Lakers’ New Season Plan: Bronny is Arranged to Play in the G League; He is Far from Becoming a Rotation Player

On August 8, it was reported that in the Los Angeles Lakers’ plan for the 2024-25 season, Bronny will mainly play in the G League. Earlier, well-known sports journalist Jovan Buha wrote in his report: “Although Bronny James performed impressively at the end of the Summer League, the Lakers plan to use him primarily in the G League because he is far from becoming a rotation player.”

As the 55th pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, Bronny struggled with shooting early in the Summer League but showed significant improvement in his last two games against the Atlanta Hawks and Cleveland Cavaliers.

In the game against the Hawks, Bronny made 5 out of 11 shots (2 out of 5 from three-point range), scoring 12 points with 1 rebound and 1 steal. He then performed even better against the Cavaliers, making 5 out of 10 shots (1 out of 3 from three-point range), scoring 13 points with 5 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 blocks.

Bronny’s stats for the first four Summer League games were as follows:

4 points, 2 assists (2 out of 9 shots, 0 out of 3 from three-point range)

3 points, 3 blocks, 2 steals (1 out of 3 shots, 0 out of 1 from three-point range)

8 points, 2 steals (3 out of 14 shots, 0 out of 8 from three-point range)

2 points (1 out of 5 shots, 0 out of 3 from three-point range)

Industry insiders had predicted that Bronny would not play a significant role with the Lakers, citing both his individual abilities and the team’s championship aspirations, as well as a crowded guard rotation including D’Angelo Russell, Gabe Vincent, Max Christie, and Austin Reaves, who will occupy considerable playing time under J.J. Redick’s guidance.

In addition, the Lakers have recent first-round picks Dalton Knecht and Jalen Hood-Schifino, who may also be ahead of Bronny in terms of playing time. Therefore, having Bronny develop in the G League makes sense for the Lakers, as it could help him become an impactful player in the future.