What Los Angeles Lakers Coach JJ Redick Said About Bronny James' Rookie NBA Season

The Los Angeles Lakers selected former USC Trojans guard Bronny James in the second round of the 2024 NBA Draft. James was selected with the No. 55 overall pick and split his time between the NBA and G League in his first season.

The Lakers are making a playoff run, coming off a win against the Minnesota Timberwolves, to tie the series 1-1. James did not play in game two, but did earn three minutes in game one.

While speaking to the media, Lakers coach JJ Redick talked about James’ rookie season and how he would grade year one.

Apr 22, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick speaks to media before a game two of first round for the 2024 NBA Playoffs against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images | Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

“I give him an A+,” Redick said. “How he has personally handled a lot of attention, good and bad. He doesn’t ever break character. He’s the same guy every day. He doesn’t allow the good attention to get to him, and he doesn’t allow the bad attention to get to him. He just continues to work.”

Despite splitting time between the NBA and G League, with the Los Angeles Lakers, James played in 27 games. He averaged 5.5 minutes and 2.2 points per game. He finished the regular season with a field goal percentage of 33.3 and averaged 0.6 rebounds and 0.6 assists per game.

With the South Bay Lakers, James played just 11 games, starting in each of them. In the G League, James averaged 34.2 minutes, scoring 21.9 points per game. He averaged 5.2 rebounds, 5.4 assists, and 1.9 steals.

MORE: USC Trojans’ Signee Jazzy Davidson Finishes as No. 1 Ranked High School Recruit

MORE: USC Trojans New Coach Chad Savage Already Making Huge Impact On Lincoln Riley's Team

MORE: What 5-Star Recruit Jett Washington Said About USC Trojans, Alabama, Oregon Ducks

Despite the limited minutes in the NBA, James has continued to develop throughout the season. Redick talked in March about how James has improved throughout the season.

“The biggest area of improvement is probably just his playmaking, and I don’t mean that just in terms of passing,” Redick said. “But just his ability to play on and off the ball as a decision-maker, either a scorer or a passer. And with that, his confidence level and level of aggression has grown. For a young player, those are two really important things.”

The former USC Trojan earned his first start against the Portland Trail Blazers in the Lakers’ final regular season game. Los Angeles had already clinched the No. 3 seed and could rest starters.

James finished the game with four points in 38 minutes. He went 2-10 with field goals and 0-3 on three-point attempts. James also had three rebounds and six assists.

Apr 19, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Bronny James (9) defends on the court in the second half against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

After his first start, James talked to the media about how he feels he has improved in his first season with the Lakers.

“Thought I got better. I thought I grew as a player and a person,” James said. “Just more work to be done.”

“I feel like I have taken some steps in the right direction and I’m, you know, looking forward to doing that in the years to come,” James continued. “I feel like I’ve been doing better.”

While James may not be a role player during games throughout the Lakers’ playoff run, Redick put the rookie on the scout team to play the role of Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards to prepare for Minnesota.

The Los Angeles Lakers will face the Minnesota Timberwolves for Game 3 on Friday, April 25, at 6:30 p.m. PT.

RECOMMENDED ARTICLES