After 3 shaky Summer League games, Bronny James finally managed to hit the gas pedal in his last two against the Atlanta Hawks and the Cleveland Cavaliers. The 19-year-old scored 12 points against Atlanta on a 5-11 clip, sinking 2 shots from beyond the arc. He also showcased his defensive prowess against Cleveland by clinching over 5 rebounds and scoring 13 points. Even though Bronny is not yet able to fully live up to the ‘LeBron James‘ son’ potential, as publicly deemed, the former Trojan is playing well as the 55th pick.

“He had two pretty good games last two. I think it’s just going to help him going into the summer so we can work on different things with him. Just that confidence and knowing he can play at this level. It’s still going to take a lot of time and a lot of reps,” Lakers‘ Summer League coach Dane Johnson said. He believes Bronny can improve, but it will take some time for the young rookie to significantly impact the league. Additionally, the coach seems undecided about the position Bronny will shape into, keeping the doors open for him to become a multi-utility player.

“I think right now he’s more of a (shooting guard), but I think he could be a combo-ish,” Johnson said. “He picks up stuff really well. We throw stuff at him — plays, coverages, defensively. He kind of picks it up really quick, so I think he could potentially be (a point guard). Maybe we’ll work on that in the summer, but I think right now, being that secondary playmaker is kind of where he’s at right now.” Even though Bronny could display his athleticism and glimpses of his scoring prowess in the Summer League games, he still has to work on his passing, playmaking, and most importantly develop some sort of consistency to round out his game.

Although Bronny is taking his baby steps into the NBA, his journey has been completely different compared to the other young guns that are trying to get into the league. Sure enough, being one of the best player’s sons in the NBA has a lot of benefits. Phoenix Suns star, Devin Booker, kind of pointed this out indirectly while reminiscing about his 2015 draft process with D’Angelo Russel.

Remember when D’Lo was drafted as the No. 2 pick by the Lakers back in 2015? The reason was Russel’s dominant performance at Ohio State, which made him a top prospect, followed by a good workout. Not in LA though. “Do you even know what a draft process looks like?” Booker asked D’Lo. On the other hand, Bronny received the same kind of treatment, but he was nowhere close to being a top prospect.

“When you top three, you do two workouts and decline all the other ones,” Booker said, with everyone on the Backyard pod breaking into laughter mid-sentence. Did you know Bronny got over 10 workout invitations from multiple teams and he reportedly declined all but two–the Lakers and, ironically, the Suns? Most prospects would never deny an NBA draft workout opportunity because that can hurt their chances of getting into the world’s best league, but King James’ son did not have a problem in making the choice.

Do we know why? Well. We won’t ever try to ‘assume’ any process. The main point is that Bronny is a part of JJ Redick’s Lakers now. For the youngster to remain in the league, he has to perform, and his future contracts and rotations in the LA side will solely depend on what he brings to the table. Can the former Trojan take his game to the next level and prove his haters wrong? Let’s dive deeper.

What’s next for Bronny James?

With Lebron James still wearing the Purple and Gold, one could say that Bronny’s path to the NBA was already set. After showcasing his performance in the Summer League, it seems like Lebron James’ son has a long way to go before he can be a useful tool daily for the Lakers in the NBA. After sitting out in their last off-season game against the Chicago Bulls, the youngster has averaged a total of over 8.8 points and 3.5 rebounds in 5 games.

“Can’t we give Bronny some time to develop, considering he’s just a second-round pick?” Gilbert Arenas said in his podcast. JJ Redick also called the 19-year-old USC prospect a “developmental player” after he got drafted by the Lakers.

Following his performance in the Summer League, the Lakers are planning to send Bronny to the G-league where he will play for the South Bay Lakers as he continues to develop his game. Under the tag of “developing player”, Bronny James still has time to polish his game and it will never be too late to silence his haters. Keeping all the glamor aside around his NBA debut, which will be a record-setter in itself as LeBron and Bronny will become the 1st father-son duo to share the court in the regular season, one thing is for certain.

No one can question Bronny’s intent. On multiple occasions, he’s shown the desire to get better alongside glimpses of his feel for the ball too. But will he actually blossom into a top player? Only time will tell. What are your thoughts on him?

Before you go, do not forget to check out this crossover between BG12 and Georgia Bulldogs star Asia Avinger