There are a lot of discussions happening around Bronny James’s future in the league. While it’s important to understand that he was the 55th overall pick in the 2024 Draft, the 20-year-old has had a very underwhelming campaign so far even for a second-round pick, On an episode of Gil’s Arena, Gilbert Arenas examined the flaws in Bronny’s game that are preventing him from performing better.
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Arenas said that the biggest flaw in the Lakers rookie’s approach is that he is not aggressive at all. That restricts Bronny from making good decisions even when he is in the right position to do so.
Arenas believes that the 20-year-old’s propensity to pass the ball instead of thinking about scoring himself is becoming a bigger problem by the day.
In the three-time All-Star’s words, “When you’re not looking to score, it becomes a problem. When you’re looking to make passes, you miss everything.”
The 42-year-old wants Bronny to be “ultra-aggressive” on the floor, which will open up more avenues not only for scoring but for making better passes as well.
“[Bronny’s] game is passive… It’s this awkward thing when he is supposed to shoot it he passes, when he is supposed to pass he shoots.”
Gilbert Arenas examines why Bronny James’ game isn’t working in the NBA. pic.twitter.com/33craZaO89
— Gilbert Arenas (@GilsArenaShow) November 11, 2024
He even brought up the styles of two of the greatest passers of all time, Jason Kidd and Steve Nash, to illustrate his point. Arenas outlined how even though these two were known for their accuracy and ability to pass the ball, they were always trying to aggressively score first, “They’re passers, but because they’re so aggressive, like, ‘I need to touch the paint, I know where to pass.’”
“How they look at the game is still an aggressive look.”
Arenas called Bronny’s approach a “passive” game, where everything else becomes secondary. In other words, the rook should make it a habit to drive to the paint when he has possession.
Arenas has previously worked with the 20-year-old, so, he understands his game.
Gilbert Arenas’ workout with Bronny
When Bronny was transitioning from middle school to high school, LeBron James reached out to Arenas for a favor. He asked the former NBA star to train with his son and see if he can help improve his game. During an appearance on Podcast P with Paul George, Arenas detailed how the workout at UCLA went.
He said, “I had another kid with me, Skyy Clark…Bronny’s getting…beat on. And I was like, ‘Hey man, stand up for yourself.’ And then the look he gave me. Got the ball, came down, Euro’d with the palm, like Kawhi palm, and then went to the rim. I’m like, ‘Oh, sh*t.’”
That’s when Arenas realized that the youngster was talented. He recalled ringing up King James to tell him that there was nothing for him to worry about. Amidst all the discussions surrounding Bronny and how he’s not ready for the league, Arenas has stood by him.
Maybe he saw something during workouts that the rest of the world hasn’t seen yet.
