Despite the Los Angeles Lakers‘ 58-point loss to the Golden State Warriors in their final preseason game, Bronny James shined with his most impressive outing yet and coach JJ Redick was quick to praise him.
The son of NBA legend LeBron James showed he belongs in the league, putting up a career-high 17 points, along with 4 rebounds and 3 steals in the 132-74 defeat.
In the postgame interview, Redick highlighted Bronny’s patience and the growth of the team’s younger players. “I think for him and all our younger players, all the moments are building blocks. Not just the good moments,” Redick explained.
He added, “The bad moments are learning opportunities. I think you have to have a level of patience, a level of optimism. I’m very confident in the level of work that our young guys have had.“
Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick talks to Bronny James #9 during the first half of their preseason game against the Golden State Warriors. Ezra Shaw/Getty Images
Redick also touched on how important scoring is for any player, saying, “That’s important for, I think, every basketball player that’s ever touched the court to score points. But some of the other stuff I’ve seen—real improvement and attention to detail. And I’ve seen that from all our young guys. So yeah, I’m encouraged by all of it.”
see also
NBA News: LeBron James' son Bronny opens up about his impressive Lakers performance vs. Warriors
Redick on Anthony Davis’ role for this season
Earlier this week, Redick addressed Anthony Davis‘ role on the team, emphasizing Davis’ importance as a “key player.” He noted, “I know he wants that. We believe he is that. And it’s our job to empower him on both sides of the basketball to have a monster year. I thought he had a monster year last year. But I think the way we want to play, he’s going to be featured like he always is. But he’s also going to be, hopefully, perpetually involved.”
Redick praised Davis for his versatility and ability to dominate across various positions. “AD is one of the most unique players in the NBA. He can play out on the perimeter, switch against guards, and play bigger players in the post. You can anchor a defense,” Redick said after a recent team practice.
see also
NBA News: Lakers’ Anthony Davis shares his thoughts on LeBron James and Warriors trade rumors
As the Lakers continue to experiment with different lineups during preseason, Redick expressed confidence in finding the right role for Davis, saying, “We’re still experimenting with different combinations and lineups, and we’ll have something consistent. But yeah, we’re going to look for opportunities to have them out there with a number of them.”
