Lakers' JJ Redick Uses Bronny James in New Role to Prepare for Playoffs

The Los Angeles Lakers are doing all they can to prepare for what the Timberwolves have to offer this season.

The Lakers will open their first home playoff series since 2012 on Saturday, marking a significant moment for the franchise. But their aspirations of reaching the NBA Finals by June won’t come without serious challenges.

Standing in their way is one of the league’s brightest young stars—Anthony Edwards. Preparing for him has been a clear focus for Los Angeles in the lead-up to Game 1.

At Wednesday’s practice, the Lakers turned to their scout team to replicate Edwards’ style of play, using Shake Milton and Bronny James to simulate his presence on the court.

The Athletic's Jovan Buha shared via X.

JJ Redick said the Lakers used Shake Milton and Bronny James as Anthony Edwards on their scout team today.

The Wolves have been using Joe Ingles as Luka Doncic in their scouting groups.
— Jovan Buha (@jovanbuha) April 16, 2025

Buha also noted that Timberwolves forward Joe Ingles is using him as the Doncic stand-in as they prepare for the international superstar.

Both teams will have their hands full. While Edwards and Doncic are special in their own right, Doncic is currently the better player than Edwards.

Doncic not only dominates in the regular season, but he elevates his game when the playoffs come around. From his first playoff appearance to his most recent, he's proved that to be the case.

The 26-year-old has played in 50 playoff games throughout his seven-year career. He's made a deep playoff run twice, including last year when he led the Dallas Mavericks to the NBA Finals. While Doncic has fallen short so far in his career, he is not the reason why.

In his playoff career, Doncic averages 30.9 points per game, 9.4 rebounds, 8.0 assists, and 1.7 steals while shooting 46.2 percent from the field and 34.7 percent from three in 39.0 minutes of action.

While James hasn’t played a significant role for the Lakers on the surface this season, moments like these show how he can still make a meaningful impact. Though it's unlikely he’ll see playoff minutes this year, it's clear the organization values him and sees long-term potential in his development.

His rookie campaign got off to a slow start, but his growth over the course of the season has been noticeable. If that trajectory continues, there’s a strong chance James could earn a more defined role with the Lakers as early as next season.

James is doing his part to ensure his team makes a strong and profound run at title No. 18.

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