Hey everyone, I’m Dan Woike, and welcome to the Lakers Newsletter, where I’m posted up in Vegas bleary eyed and blackjack frustrated. The Lakers have played to full houses twice while losing a pair and turning their fans’ faces flush.
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But since only one thing apparently matters, we’ve got to get into it.
On Bronny
One day after Bronny James scored two points and continued his three-point drought, a custom-designed throw rug depicting the No. 55 pick in the draft hung under a spotlight in the concourse at the NBA’s Summer League.
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If the banners at the airport and the billboards on the highways haven’t been enough reminders that Bronny is one of the biggest things in Vegas, the new rug for your living room is now available for purchase.
On Tuesday, James was mentioned by plenty of NBA scouts and executives, deconstructing his offensive struggles, wondering about the crowds that have come to watch the Lakers’ second-round pick scuffle under the spotlight.
It comes on the back of Jaylen Brown appearing to say that James “isn’t a pro” — a sentiment he sorta walked back on social media Tuesday morning.
All of this is to say, that so far, the Bronny James experience has been more of a circus than anything else, kind of a worst-case-scenario start for a player that new Lakers coach JJ Redick said would be the test case for the team’s developmental plans.
One rival general manager who considered drafting James bristled at some of the Lakers’ characterizations for James, noting Redick’s comparison to Oklahoma City wing Lu Dort.
“What’s the hit rate for second-round picks,” he wondered, “Something like 10%?”
A custom throw rug depicting Bronny James hangs under a spotlight in the concourse at the NBA’s Summer League.
(Dan Woike / Los Angeles Times)
While there have been some skeptics when it comes to James and the Lakers’ choice to pick him — one evaluator said he would’ve ranked James more as a training camp invitee than as a guaranteed roster player — most see at least some potential for James should things go right.
But while judgments based on summer league play should rarely be issued, a few things about James are starting to become clear.
One, he’s going to be under a tremendous amount of pressure whenever a lot of people pay attention. The way the crowd groans for his misses and erupts for his baskets isn’t the healthiest environment for a young player trying to figure things out. And while the banners and the rugs and the NBA comps might have you believing otherwise, James is still a player with a lot to figure out.
Two, he has a long way to go — even in the areas that are supposed to be his strengths. Defensively, as a point-of-attack defender, scouts and executives have noticed some inconsistency with effort and effectiveness. He needs to do a better job with the little things and process decisions more quickly. None of this should be a surprise for a rookie guard at NBA Summer League. But when your jersey says “James Jr.” on the back and “Lakers” on the front, a lot of reasonable expectations will be launched out the window.
Three, the volume on this stuff is going to remain loud. Rich Paul, James’ agent, appeared on “The Pat McAfee Show” on Tuesday expressing confidence in his client while reminding people this is about development. The crowds are going to be big again Wednesday when the Lakers play Atlanta and No. 1 pick Zaccharie Risacher.
Four, plenty of smart people still think James has a chance. The positives, such as his length and athleticism, are tools that should help him as he works his way into an NBA role that he seemingly understands. And plenty of evaluators will tell you that looking at high-scoring players as a source for defense-minded impact isn’t a safe bet (while they would all point out that James’ USC offensive numbers are problematic). James has never expressed his desire to take over games or be some kind of star in the league. In his limited comments, he has spoken more about impacting games without the ball in his hands, a sign that he knows who he is and what he can do.
But five, there are just some big things that are real issues. He’s too short to play shooting guard and definitely not ready to be a point guard, not even in summer league. His confidence seems to be suffering from 15 straight missed three-pointers to start summer. Also, those misses … for a player who will someday be a three-and-D type if things go well, you’d want to see those start to fall.
A lot of this is based on projection, and talking about the realities of long-term projection isn’t as fun as hitting the highs of who he could be someday or as satisfying to others who are gloating after every one of his misses.
Having a measured conversation about this is already exhausting, and none of these games have mattered and the specter of him playing with his father, LeBron, in an NBA game.
This was always going to be hard — a No. 55 pick making it in the NBA and becoming a valued player. A few days in, it’s pretty obvious that because of all the attention and dissection, it might end up being even harder.
Song of the Week
Some great father-son songs out there, and this might be one of the best.
In case you missed it
Lakers to hire Lindsey Harding as team’s first female assistant coach
Is Bronny James a pro? Jaylen Brown doesn’t think so: He’s with Lakers ‘because of his name’
Joe ‘Jellybean’ Bryant, father of late Lakers legend Kobe Bryant, dies at 69
Olympics give LeBron James another chance to show his Midas touch