Lakers’ Bronny James Must Improve Key Aspect of Game, Says Insider

Jul 10, 2025; Las Vegas, NV, USA: Los Angeles Lakers guard Bronny James (9) prepares for the start of the second quarter against the Dallas Mavericks at Thomas & Mack Center. Mandatory Credit: Candice Ward-Imagn Images | Candice Ward-Imagn Images

Second-year Los Angeles Lakers guard Bronny James has a long runway towards securing playing time and a meaningful role, having signed a four-year, fully-guaranteed deal — a rarity for second-round draft picks. That's where it pays to be the son of one of the team's two All-Stars, 21-time All-NBA power forward LeBron James.

Robert Marvi of USA Today opines that the younger James needs to shore up his 3-point shooting, specifically off the catch.

This makes sense, as the 20-year-old will likely not be handling the ball much on a win-now Lakers team led by ball-dominant pieces LeBron James, Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves.

"If the younger James ever does make it in the big leagues, he will not have the basketball in his hands a lot," Marvi writes. "That means he will have to excel off the ball, which means he will have to hit open 3-pointers off passes from his teammates."

"During this past G League regular season, he made 38 percent of his 3-point attempts, which demonstrates some ability to hit from long distance," Marvi writes. "But in his lone year at the University of Southern California, he made 26.7 percent of his 3-point attempts and only 19.6 percent of his catch-and-shoot attempts from that distance."

Marvi also posits that James needs to level up two other elements of his game.

This story will be updated...