In Lakers’ history, several rookies have burst out of the scene. But the case of Bronny James is a lot different. The UCS product dealt with health issues and hadn’t played ample college basketball before the NBA. In his showings at the Summer League, his talent and instincts were evident. The 19-year-old has a brilliant understanding of the game. However, his numbers didn’t match the mental edge he had at such a young age. Probably why Magic Johnson feels “he needs playing time”.

As a former President of the Basketball Operations of the Lakers, Johnson has deep trust in the development unit of the franchise. He emerged as a vicious star from the time he was a rookie under the Purple and Gold. For Bronny, he simply thinks having him perform reps and putting him in game situations is the key to harnessing his abilities. To be a 15-20 minutes-a-night player, though, Magic thinks his evolution has to come far away from the NBA.

“If I’m Bronny I would tell my dad just let me play in the G-League all season so that I can develop. He needs playing time. He doesn’t need to be sitting on the Laker bench and not playing. That’s not a knock against him. He’s just not ready, he needs to develop more,” Magic Johnson told Jimmy Kimmel.

Under JJ Redick, the Lakers have high regard for their G-League affiliate, the South Bay Lakers. They have hired a new coach solely tasked with sharpening their young core and preparing them for the highest level of basketball. In his prior talks, Redick himself promoted the G-League as a “tool” for Bronny James to polish his skills and mold him into a capable NBA player who can make an impact.

He has the raw talent to do so. Even though undersized, James displays ferocious quickness on the court. Additionally, his defense is an invigorating part of his game aside from his perimeter-focused offense. Having the opportunity to pick a great basketball mind every day, his game sense, too, is top-notch. With averages that look like 4.8 points and 2.8 rebounds at USC, Bronny had a pretty mediocre run in college, with no signature moves to back his caliber. For someone to be hyped like this before drafts, it does raise questions!

But, despite all the mediocrity, Bronny did manage to work his way to the Lakers’ roster, set to make history in the upcoming season as the first father-son duo to share the court in NBA history.

The priority for him is to reach the highest ceiling he possibly can. Bronny James himself isn’t against the prospect of playing in the G-League. He wants to play any basketball that he can. In terms of the historic moment that awaits him and LeBron James, it’s imminent to happen this season.

However, there is a consensus understanding that in order for Bronny to be a serviceable NBA player, he will have to go through a rigorous G-League season during his rookie campaign.

Bronny James has the right attitude

As the son of LeBron James, a primal figure in NBA history, a sense of entitlement would be an easy emotion to hold. Bronny James could very well leverage the authority of his father simply to play for the Lakers. However, he is far from that individual. The prodigious guard doesn’t play ball because of his father, but because he truly adores the sport and its technicalities.

From a young age, he has displayed great maturity. To deter attention, he changed his original name, ‘LeBron James Jr’, and has since been striving to stand on his own platform. Even at his press conference, his humility was palpable. “I’m just looking forward to any basketball I play, no matter what level I’m playing at,” he said.

Furthermore, rookie head coach JJ Redick has also raved about his mentality. As a prospect, he has always seen promise within James. But rather than seeing him as an assignment, Redick finds it a pleasure to be able to coach a player such as Bronny James due to his compatibility and willingness to improve.

“Bronny, I feel very fortunate that I get to coach him because he’s young and he’s hungry, and he’s got a lot of inherent skill sets that we can really mold into a really good NBA player. On top of that, he’s a fantastic kid. He’s extremely coachable,” he told ESPN.

He has already made a great imprint on his teammates. With training camp started, James has regularly shown intensity and is up for any task that comes his way. With his flexibility and willingness to absorb knowledge and earn his place, the USC product does have great potential. And the Lakers have a great history of producing sensational NBA stars.

What more would LeBron James, as a father, want for his son?