"Rob & I didn't give Bronny anything" - JJ Redick identifies Bronny James as Lakers' primary 'case study" for player development
The LA Lakers' decision to draft Bronny James with their final pick of the draft has been met with plenty of questions and skepticism from the NBA community. Given that Bronny James' college stats don't jump off the table compared to his peers, some fans and analysts don't believe that he is NBA-ready. The way JJ Redick and the Lakers see things, that doesn't matter.
While speaking at the introductory press conference on Tuesday for Dalton Knecht and Bronny James, Redick placed an emphasis on player development. As he explained, Bronny is the first player the team has acquired for their developmental program.
Under the Lakers' training staff, Bronny James will have the chance to evolve as a player before being thrust into the team's main rotation. On the other hand, in the case of Knecht, he will likely become one of LA's go-to pieces off the bench at the shooting guard position this upcoming season.
While speaking to media members, Redick spoke about Bronny James and the plan for his development:
"Bronny has earned this. Bronny talks about his hard work. Bronny has earned this through hard work. And for us prioritizing player development, we view Bronny as, like, case study one, because his base level of feel, athleticism, point of attack defender, shooting, passing, there's a lot to like about his game.
"And as we sort of build out our player development program holistically he's going to have a great opportunity to become an excellent NBA player."
Rob Pelinka praises Bronny James' shooting following NBA draft
As previously mentioned, some are skeptical of Bronny James' future in the NBA given that he wasn't a standout NCAA player. During his lone season at USC, Bronny averaged just 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game on 26.7% from the field.
Despite that, Rob Pelinka and the Lakers believe that there's quite a bit of upside to Bronny's game, and believe that as a franchise they can develop him as a player.
Following day two of the NBA draft, Pelinka spoke with media members about their decision to draft Bronny as relayed by SB Nation's Silver Screen & Roll:
“We’ve really seen growth in his shooting. I think at the combine when we were there with the scouting staff, he was one of the leaders in making his shots in some of the drills. We really think he can turn into being an elite shot-maker.”
As Pelinka explained, Bronny had an impressive showing at the draft combine. During the three-point shooting drill, he knocked down 19 of 25 shots, finishing second among all participants.
In addition, his on-ball defense has also earned him praise in the past, leading Pelinka to believe that LA can develop his skills as a standout 3 & D player.