While new Los Angeles Lakers guard Bronny James struggled to score in the Las Vegas Summer League, he did show flashes of being a lockdown defender.
The latter skillset could help the son of LeBron James carve out a long and successful career in the NBA. Retired Heat forward Udonis Haslem likes hearing Bronny comparing himself to Celtics guard Jrue Holiday due to his physical attributes and defensive instincts.
On “The OGs Show” podcast, Haslem discussed what he’s observed from Bronny so far.
“He’s done a great job of just quieting the noise and focusing on the things he can control,” Haslem said of Bronny. “When he does speak, he makes specific points that lets you know he’s mature enough to understand his position. Because when he speaks, he he talks about being a Jrue Holiday type guy. These type of guys — they are not necessarily the top scorers on the team but they’re guys you can’t win without. They’re Swiss army knife guys…If he can come in an impact like that, he just builds [his career] with that.”
During his conversation with Shaquille O’Neal, Haslem added that he’s looking forward to “seeing good things” from Bronny in his rookie campaign.
New Lakers head coach JJ Redick also compared Bronny to other defensive-minded guards in the NBA. During the Summer League, Redick said he has conveyed to Bronny that he’s looking for constant “defensive ball pressure” from the rookie — a task typically not given to star players who expend a lot of energy on offense.
Redick used the example of OKC’s All-Defensive ace Luguentz Dort, who attempted only 8.3 shots per game for the Thunder last season but was an indispensable member of the first-seeded team.
Bronny will get a chance to justify Haslem and Redick’s praise when the Lakers face the Timberwolves in their preseason opener on Oct. 4. While it’s unknown if Bronny will suit up for the start of the regular season, one insider recently guaranteed that he will be in the Lakers rotation for opening night on Oct. 22.
