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By Matthew Schmidt
Contributing Sports Writer
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Few players in sports have stirred up as much controversy as Los Angeles Lakers guard Bronny James over the last year.
The son of LeBron James, Bronny has heard the nepotism criticisms ever since getting a shot at the NBA, and to be quite frank, some of that has some validity to it. But the youngster actually did show some brief flashes during his rookie campaign, which has some wondering if he will be able to get serious minutes next season.
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Bleacher Report's Eric Pincus decided to offer his prediction on James, noting that while he is probably behind the 8-ball in the Lakers' backcourt rotation, playing time could open up for him under the right circumstances. That's especially if veteran addition Marcus Smart misses time.
"Smart's most significant issue is durability. If he misses 20-50 games, as he's been known to do in recent years, that might open a window for James to earn minutes," Pincus wrote. "[J.J.] Redick doesn't have many other options at guard, unless he's playing forwards out of position like Dalton Knecht, Adou Thiero, or Jarred Vanderbilt."
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James would also have to contend with Gabe Vincent for minutes, but it's not like Vincent is a world-beater. Still, Bronny has a lot to prove.
"James may struggle to get regular minutes initially, but injuries, trades, and, if he can shoot the ball at a high clip and defend his position well, the opportunities may come," Pincus wrote.
James played in 27 games last season, averaging 2.3 points over 6.7 minutes a night on 31.3/28.1/78.6 shooting splits. So, yeah, not the best numbers. He did, however, score 17 points on 7-of-10 shooting during a loss to the Milwaukee Bucks in late March, so perhaps there is something there?
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The 20-year-old, who played his collegiate basketball at USC, was selected by Los Angeles with the 55th overall pick of the 2024 NBA Draft.
It will certainly be interesting to see if James has a legitimate future in the league.
For more on the Los Angeles Lakers and general NBA news, head on over to Newsweek Sports.
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