JJ Redick gets brutally honest about Bronny James' future in NBA - "He has real reservation of failing"

After a slow start to his NBA career, LA Lakers rookie guard Bronny James is gaining momentum with LA's NBA G League affiliate, the South Bay Lakers. Amid his improved play, LA coach JJ Redick touched on James' NBA future and the hurdle he needs to overcome to maximize his potential.

James, the Lakers' No. 55 pick in the 2024 NBA draft, has played sparingly with the franchise thus far. Through seven outings, he is averaging just 0.6 points on 12.5% shooting in 2.6 minutes per game.

The rookie's initial G League stint also left many underwhelmed. However, James has recently taken his production to another level.

Over his past three appearances with South Bay, he averaged 20.7 ppg on 43.1% shooting, while displaying considerable defensive upside. That includes dropping a career-high 30 points during Thursday's 106-100 road loss to the Valley Suns.

On Tuesday, Redick took questions about James' development and NBA prospects. After underscoring the two-way contract guard's coachability, Redick spoke about James' need to overcome his fear of failure.

He noted that James' mental barrier likely stems from the long-standing attention he's received as Lakers superstar forward LeBron James' son.

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"He's got to get to the point where it's okay to fail," Redick said. "I think he has a real reservation of failing. And I think a lot of that is he's had a camera on him since he was eight years old. ... I think once he develops that, he's gonna take off."

Redick added that "mental development" is a key aspect of NBA "player development."

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"He will do anything we ask him to do, and he's done everything we've asked him to do. It's just (that) part of player development is not just the physical skills and the physical development, it is the mental development as well," Redick said.

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JJ Redick on Bronny James' biggest area of improvement in NBA G League

During Tuesday's media session, JJ Redick also highlighted examples of Bronny James' improvement in the G League. According to the rookie coach, James has made his biggest stride as an on-ball decision-maker, while maintaining his trademark defensive effort.

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"Where I've seen (improvement) on-court in the G League, I think some decision-making with the basketball, being on-ball and making good decisions both as a scorer and a playmaker," Redick said. "Continuing to see the flashes defensively of what we're really excited about."

James will next suit up for South Bay in this week's G League Winter Showcase from Thursday to Sunday in Orlando, Florida. The event will give the rookie a chance to showcase his improvement to representatives from all 30 NBA teams.

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