JJ Redick has high hopes for Bronny James.
In a recent interview SiriusXM NBA RadioThe Lakers’ new head coach made an interesting player comparison, likening LeBron James’ son, who will be the 55th pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, to Oklahoma City Thunder wing Lou Dort.
“We were watching a Canada-USA basketball exhibition game, and I turned to one of my assistant coaches during the game and said, ‘I think Le Dort singlehandedly stopped the eighth attempt of the game,’ and that’s his influence. You can’t focus on the attack. Sometimes the shot clock goes down because of his ball pressure. He literally kills the whole play because of that pressure. I truly believe that Bronny is going to be that guy eventually,” Redick said.
Bronny, 19, is listed as 6’2″ tall and weighing 210 pounds, slightly smaller than Dort, 25, who is listed as 6’4″ tall and weighing 220 pounds.
Dort made his NBA debut with Oklahoma City in December 2019 and has established himself in the league with his tenacious defense.
Redick highlighted Bronny’s defensive instincts and suggested he could follow a similar path to Dort in the pros.
“He’s got to be a guy that’s always going to get the ball,” Redick said. “We’re going to develop his shooting and his ball skills. He already has great feel. He’s got good instincts defensively.”
But the shooting guard has struggled offensively, appearing in three Summer League games with the Lakers and losing each time, finishing with just 15 points on 6-of-26 field goal attempts and 0-of-12 3-pointers.
“You have to enjoy the process of playing in the NBA and not get hung up on the results,” Redick said, according to NBA.com. “He’s obviously case study No. 1. We’re going to invest a lot in him. He has to get hooked on the process and not get hung up on the results.”
Bronny, the son of an NBA legend, previously said he experienced a lot of negative reaction after being selected in the second round by the Lakers, but said it’s nothing new.
“I’ve been dealing with these things my whole life so it doesn’t change anything. It’s definitely gotten more severe but I’ll get through it,” said Bronny, who signed a four-year, $7.9 million contract. “I’ve already seen stories on social media and the internet that maybe I don’t deserve a chance.”
But his brother James said he is looking to prove himself and become a valuable asset to Los Angeles.
“I feel like I’m being given a chance to really show what I’m capable of because I wasn’t given that many opportunities at South Carolina,” added Bronny, who suffered a cardiac arrest last summer.
Bronny averaged 4.8 points and 2.1 assists per game at USC.
Redick, who was named head coach on June 24, is a firm believer in Bronny’s abilities and his future role with the team and has denied rumors of nepotism.
“Bronny earned this. Bronny talks about hard work. Bronny earned this through hard work,” Redick said at the team’s introductory press conference.
