Ever since Bronny James was drafted by the Lakers, his credibility has been up for debate. Is he really an NBA-caliber player? Averaging only 4.8 points during his freshman year at USC, Bronny did not show a lot of potential to go pro as compared to some other prospects in his draft class. Yet here we are, watching him play for the Lakers in the Summer League. However, doubting his caliber once again following JJ Redick’s bold comparison, former ESPN employee Doug Gottlieb commended Bronny’s USC HC for his harsh decision to prioritize winning basketball.

Making an argument about why Bronny is likely not as good a player as Redick claims he will be, the media veteran brought up former USC head coach Andy Enfield’s decision to bench the Lakers rookie frequently during his maiden college season.

“This year at USC, if he’s an NBA player and Andy Enfield is barely playing him and they stink, then Andy Enfield has to be the dumbest human being of all time. And Andy Enfield is not a dumb human being. The more he played him, the less they won.” Gottlieb remarked on The Doug Gottlieb Show.

Sure enough, the media veteran does have a point as out of the 25 games Bronny played in college, he started in only 6 and came off the bench every other time. Moreover, the kid got less than 20 minutes of playing time on average, which does not scream NBA potential at all.

But it’s important to note that Bronny was just a freshman and most players in their first college season come off the bench. Even Bronny’s fellow Lakers rookie Dalton Knecht, who was picked at #17, started in only 11 out of the 35 games he played in his first year at Northern Colorado while seeing a little over 24 minutes of court time.

On top of all this, Bronny was coming off a life-threatening cardiac arrest, which means there is a chance Enfield might not have put him on the court a lot even if he was performing better as it had potential health risks.

Who did JJ Redick compare Bronny James to?

Well, the whole discussion began after the Lakers head coach made a bold prediction about Bronny’s NBA future during a recent interview, comparing him to OKC’s elite defender Lu Dort. Witnessing Dort in action during the Team USA vs. Canada exhibition game, JJ was impressed with what Dort brings to the table and how he expects a similar production from his rookie.

“I think Lu Dort just singlehandedly broke up the eighth possession of the game. Like his impact, you can’t get into your offense sometimes, the shot clock winds down because of his ball pressure. He literally blows up entire plays because of that pressure and I really believe this, Bronny eventually will be that guy.”

While it looks like a far-fetched dream right now, Bronny has shown some signs of potentially becoming a defensive menace in the future during his limited performance in the Summer League. Although he has had only one double-digit scoring performance so far, the rookie has cumulated multiple blocks and steals every game, and has been highly productive defensively.

However, Gottlieb and even former NBA player Antonio Daniels believe the Lu Dort comparison might be a little too ambitious. “I can’t see him being someone like Lu Dort because Lu Dort is one is 6’3, 6’4, but is also built like a linebacker. Bronny is not built like a linebacker.” Antonio said on Doug’s show.

What Dort lacks in height, he makes up for with his huge 215lbs frame. However, Bronny at age 19 does not have that advantage. Do you think Gottlieb and Daniels are right about being skeptical about JJ comparing Bronny to Dort?