3 POVs on How Bronny James Can Survive His NBA Rookie Season

3 POVs on How Bronny James Can Weather His NBA Rookie Season0 of 3

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It hasn’t exactly been a dream preseason for Bronny James. Even the 20-year-old admits he currently lacks the confidence he knows he needs.

Dave McMenamin @mctenBronny James on his preseason so far: “I feel good. The numbers could be better. I just got to get my confidence up” pic.twitter.com/wfPGXGsJhp

However, the grind is just beginning for the most scrutinized second-round draft pick the NBA has ever seen.

The Los Angeles Lakers are committed to him, and James already has a guaranteed contract with them.

The adjustment to NBA standards will test James, as it does with every rookie entering the league. What will determine his success is not preseason production but how he develops and refines his game.

The Superstar Trainer: ‘Pick Up the Team’s Concepts ASAP’1 of 3

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The NBA’s ultimate trainer-to-the-stars, Chris Brickley, sees hope in the hustle.

He worked with James over the offseason and saw him the day after he didn’t get selected on the first day of the NBA draft in June.

Most guys who don’t get drafted early will spend the day in the hotel until they get picked—if they get picked at all. But James was in the gym the next morning at 9 a.m. doing workouts.

“That showed me he really wants this,” Brickley said. “He wants to improve. I think he’s a lot better than people think. From his ball-handling, to shooting, to athleticism, to IQ, it’s way higher than people give him credit for. I think he’s going to have a long career in the NBA.”

Brickley has worked with more than 25 All-Stars and No. 1 draft picks. Working with James this summer, he saw an elite athlete, someone who can attack the rim and is multifaceted: He can play defense, run a team and be a three-and-D guy.

“What happens to rookies is that the game is sped up constantly,” Brickley said. “It’s tough to be good that way because you’re in panic mode.”

“As a rookie, he’s not going to do all of those things. He’s going to have limited time here and there and has to make the most of it and earn the coach’s trust. It’s super-important for young guys, especially rookies, to pick up the team’s concepts ASAP. That’s the No. 1 important thing. Once you memorize that, you’ll be out there and actually start playing basketball and not worry about whether you’re in the right spot.”

An NBA Legend’s Son: ‘You’re Going to Have Your Own Journey’2 of 3

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Having an iconic NBA figure as your father can send expectations through the roof. But as we’ve seen in past years with Shareef O’Neal and Scottie Pippen Jr., second-generation NBA offspring usually carve their own path in their own way.

Golden State Warriors guard and 2022 NBA champion Gary Payton II has lived that as the son of a NBA Hall of Famer. He told B/R it’s rare for a father and son to accomplish the same things and live the same journey.

“What they can speak on is their experiences in the league and what helped them grow in the league and what worked for them,” he said. “What worked for Bron might not work for Bronny. Bronny is going to figure out what works for him.”

For Payton junior, being ready for training camp on a conditioning level helped with the early adjustment. He said it allowed him to focus more on learning the playbook, where the gaps are, what roles they’re looking to fill instead of using training camp to work on fitness.

However, it was the mentorship of veteran Michael Beasley that had a lasting effect on his career.

“We played a lot of one-on-one. He’s a strong guy. Massive hands. He’s aggressive. He taught me how to be aggressive, don’t be scared, attack the ball and be a menace on defense,” he said. “That kind of instilled in me from an early age. He taught me how to be that defender I am today with the physicality.”

Of course, James has a mentor with NBA experience in his own family, but he is likely to spend a large chunk of this season in the G League with the South Bay Lakers.

Payton said his G League stints helped him develop every inch of his game and got him ready for the next jump in the NBA, his call-ups, his 10-day looks and playing his roles when asked.

It’s almost certain James will take a different route than his father, who was the NBA Rookie of the Year in his first season in the league with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

“The comparison? Don’t listen to it,” Payton said.

Former G-Leaguer Turned Pro: ‘You Don’t Have to Come in Fully Packaged’3 of 3

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Former Lakers center Tarik Black found the initial transition from college to the NBA physically challenging.

It was a tough adjustment to face grown men with 10 or 15 years of NBA-level experience.

“You don’t have to come in fully packaged,” Black said. “You just have to have potential in different areas, but do really well in the things you’re expected to do.”

Black recalls his time in the G League as a period that allowed him to get crucial minutes and get shots and reps in during his spells from the bench and starting roles. He said it helped him stay in game shape, find his rhythm and build confidence.

The former Houston Rockets and Lakers player believes James should take advantage of having all that experience and knowledge around him.

“Soak up the wisdom and ask questions to get as many perspectives as possible,” he said. “And then go to the G League, if he gets sent there, and work on everything you’re being taught.”

As the 2014-15 season started, injuries to Dwight Howard opened the door for Black to start for the Rockets.

All of a sudden, the 6’9″ rookie was carrying the load as the No. 1 center.

“It was the longest year of my life,” Black said. “I was physically exhausted by the process. But knowing who I am, what I bring to the table and breaking down those principles gave me that simplicity.”

When Black was at the Lakers early in his career, he said putting his hand up for extra sessions throughout preseason and training camp helped him get to the next level physically and on the court.

Any time Howard, Joey Dorsey or other bigs were on the court, Black would jump in to help on defense, rebound or find a way to get involved.

“For a young guy at practice you don’t get many repetitions at doing drills,” he said. “But as many times as they would allow me to, I’m trying to play, get my reps in, trying to learn the game and getting used to what the game is like at their level at that level – the NBA is a totally different game.”

Every path for an NBA rookie is different. James has a guaranteed contract and has been exposed to an elite basketball life through his father, LeBron. Black says those experiences will help the rookie navigate the early goings of training camp and be less of an adjustment for him.

“When you get out of the glitz and glamour of the NBA and go to the G, you get a chance to play strictly for the love of the game,” he said. “The G is full of hungry talent and you get the chance to compete for the purity of competing. [Bronny needs to] take advantage of that.”