“Needs a Year or 2 in the G-League”: NBA Champion Bluntly Assesses Bronny James’ Lakers Future

The Los Angeles Lakers have now officially assigned Bronny James to the NBA G-League. He will make his debut with the South Bay Lakers on Saturday, November 9th in their season opener against the Salt Lake City Stars. The son of the legendary LeBron James didn’t make much impact in his four appearances in the big leagues. Former Spurs star, Avery Johnson believes this is the best course of action for the young star. However, it may be years before he’s ready to suit up once more in the NBA.

Bronny has played just over 12 minutes in his NBA career. On the season he’s averaging just 3.2 minutes of action. He won’t get better sitting on the bench, which is why his time in the G-League will be essential. Johnson took to X to share an in-depth assessment of James, which he didn’t hold back on. He said,

“This young man probably needs a year or two in the G-League to really develop his game and to see if he can ever become a rotation player.”

When it comes to the journey Bronny James is about to take to the G League, I’m all about it. This isn’t shocking news—the Lakers most likely had this in mind from the start. pic.twitter.com/TrXuZlj5SH

— Avery Johnson (@CoachAvery6) November 8, 2024

Johnson didn’t mince his words when evaluating Bronny’s current skill level in the NBA. He didn’t overlook his potential, but he recognized his raw intangibles for the game of basketball. However, Bronny hasn’t shown that he’s ready to compete with the top players the NBA has to offer.

Everyone close within the Lakers organization recognized that adding Bronny would be a project. The former four-star recruit didn’t get to showcase his true potential in college after a cardiac arrest last July stopped his development. In 25 games at USC he averaged 4.8 points and 2.8 rebounds on 36.6% shooting from the field.

His struggles offensively have transferred to the early stages of his NBA career. He is shooting 16.7% from the field despite only attempting six shots. He has yet to connect on one out of the four three-pointers he has attempted. Playing in the G-League will allow Bronny the luxury of making mistakes and learning from them, something the fast-paced and unforgiving nature of the NBA doesn’t allow.

Bronny has shown flashes of greatness

Bronny’s tenure in the NBA hasn’t only consisted of lacklustre performances. During the preseason, the 6-foot-2 guard gave glimpses of the player that he can become.

In the Lakers’ first five preseason games, Bronny struggled. He only scored eight points total on an inefficient 4-20 from the field. However, he displayed great defensive promise amid his offensive struggles. He changed the narrative in his final preseason game against the Warriors.

James tallied 17 points, four rebounds and three steals in 35 minutes of action. His feel for the game increased tremendously compared to his first taste of preseason.

The ability to receive high-level reps against NBA-like competition in the G-League will impact Bronny greatly. Raptors shooting guard, Gradey Dick, is the perfect example of the impact of the G-League.

Before being assigned to the Raptors 905, Dick averaged 3.9 points per game on 27% shooting from the field. His tenure with the 905 deeply affected his production this season. In his sophomore season, Dick is averaging 20.0 points and 2.2 rebounds per game on 46.1% shooting from the field.

There are several success stories from players that developed in the G-League. As long as Bronny continues to work the way he has his entire basketball career, his future in the NBA will be bright.