Los Angeles Lakers Coach Reveals Bold Focus for Bronny James

Los Angeles Lakers coach JJ Redick spoke out about his focus for rookie guard Bronny James.

Jul 7, 2024; San Francisco, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Bronny James Jr. (9) smiles form the sideline during the third quarter against the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center. / Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

The Los Angeles Lakers and rookie guard Bronny James are one of the most talked about storylines in the NBA.

Of course, James is the son of NBA superstar and potential all-time great LeBron James. He is also now a teammate of his dad and is receiving major pressure to succeed.

So far during the NBA Summer League, James has struggled offensively. Due to those struggles, he has been receiving a lot of criticism and heckling.

Despite his offensive struggles, James has been playing well on the defensive end of the floor.

In a recent interview, Lakers' head coach JJ Redick spoke out about James and revealed a primary focus he has for the young guard. He thinks defense should be a primary focus for the rookie.

“I thought the last game of the [California] Classic, defensively, he was terrific. He had eight or nine possessions where, whether it was ball pressure or switching, just making plays defensively, that’s been a real point of emphasis in all my conversations in the times I have been with the team on the practice floor."

Redick continued forward, revealing that he is shouldering the blame if James gives up too much scoring defensively.

“We want him pressuring the ball. I told him yesterday, ‘If you get blown by and have 10 fouls, that’s on me. I want you up and pressuring the ball.'”

Throughout his one season with the USC Trojans in college, James showed off elite defensive ability. He has the quickness, strength, and ability to be a very good defender. Los Angeles believes that James' offensive game will come with development.

James is under a lot of scrutiny. He is expected to find future success in the NBA with the amount of hype that has surrounded him. Fans also call attention to the fact that he didn't put up big numbers in his lone college season.

While he may not have had a lot of on-court success at USC, James found success off the court in the NIL market.

By the end of his first college season, James was already ranked No. 3 among all NIL athletes and was No. 1 in college basketball. On3 gave him a shocking NIL valuation of $3.2 million.

Whether he ends up developing into an NBA star or not, James has already set himself up for the future. It will be interesting to watch his development throughout the 2024-25 season.