Bronny James, the No. 55 pick in last month’s draft by the Los Angeles Lakers, is clearly going to be a work in progress. His shot came and went during summer league play, and while he shot well in his last two games, one cannot expect him to be accurate right away in actual NBA games.
But the strongest aspect of his game right now, which has some scouts and Lakers head coach JJ Redick optimistic about his overall potential, is his defense. He is someone who will get after it on the defensive end.
People have expressed concern about the fact that he was measured at just 6-foot-1.5 at the scouting combine. But he does have a 40.5-inch vertical leap, as well as a robust 6-foot-7 wingspan.
Then there are his defensive instincts, which seem to be well-developed despite the fact that he is 19 years of age.
YouTube user Awful Coaching, which has spent lots of time breaking down the problems that former Lakers head coach Darvin Ham had, took the time to put together a positive video breakdown of James’ defense during summer league play.
One thing that is evident while watching this video is that James seems to know when to help or “stunt” defensively, and when to retreat back to his own defensive assignment. This is something that, when done effectively, can stymie opposing offenses.
He also does a good job during pick-and-roll coverage and is willing to fight through screens instead of merely going under them. Under Ham, the Lakers had a poor habit of going under screens and doing a poor job of playing drop coverage when facing pick-and-rolls.
If LeBron James’ son ever figures out how to consistently hit outside shots and create off the dribble, perhaps he can become an effective NBA rotation player after all.