The Los Angeles Lakers need all hands on deck to be a serious title contender, and Bronny James must make significant improvements to be an NBA player. The rookie appeared in just 27 games last season and produced a negative 0.2 value over replacement player (VORP). He clearly didn’t belong. Bronny played well in the G League and showcased improvements in summer league, but necessarily the ones that will get him on the floor with the Lakers.
The 20-year-old guard won’t be handling the ball with Luka Doncic, LeBron James, and Austin Reaves on their roster. There is a clear path to beating out Gabe Vincent for minutes, but it involves Bronny being a stout defender and spacing the floor for LA’s top options.