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JJ Redick Praises Bronny James's 'Unique' Defense After Highlight Play for Lakers

James blocked three shots in 16 minutes in his NBA preseason debut.
Tim Capurso|
Los Angeles Lakers guard Bronny James (9) reacts against the Minnesota Timberwolves during the second half at Acrisure Arena.
Los Angeles Lakers guard Bronny James (9) reacts against the Minnesota Timberwolves during the second half at Acrisure Arena. | Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images

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Los Angeles Lakers

Bronny James made his NBA preseason debut for the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday night and wasted no time impressing coach JJ Redick with his abilities on the defensive end of the floor.

James finished with two points, one rebound and an assist, blocking three shots in 16 minutes of the 124–107 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves. But it was plays like the one James made early in the second quarter that caught Redick's attention.

James, attempting to pass the ball to Lakers guard D'Angelo Russell at the top of the key, turned it over to Pelicans guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker. But James, not giving up on the play, trailed Walker on the fast break and blocked his shot from behind.

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While the Timberwolves did eventually score on a put-back, James's effort on the defensive end was not lost on Redick.

"He can do some things defensively at his size that are really unique," Redick said. "And can ... I think turn into a really disruptive defender. And that manifested itself. On the offensive end, he's still kind of figuring out who he is. And that's our job as a player development program just to build him up."

"But I liked what I saw from Bronny. He's so easy to coach. And he's got a great soul. And just a great energy about him. I like being around him and I'm rooting for him.

"He's a good player that we're happy to have in our program."

Redick added that James had impressed the Lakers coaching staff during the first week of training camp, leading to the rookie playing the third-most minutes off the bench for Los Angeles on Friday night.

James, 19, was selected with the 55th pick in the second round of the 2024 NBA draft. James in July signed a four-year contract with the Lakers worth $7.9 million, with roughly $5.4 million in guaranteed money.

Bronny and LeBron James are poised to become the first father-son duo in NBA history this season.

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Tim Capurso
TIM CAPURSO

Tim Capurso is a staff writer for Sports Illustrated, primarily covering MLB, college football and college basketball. Before joining SI in November 2023, Capurso worked at RotoBaller and ClutchPoints and is a graduate of Assumption University. When he's not working, he can be found at the gym, reading a book or enjoying a good hike. A resident of New York, Capurso openly wonders if the Giants will ever be a winning football team again.

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