Pacers Role Player Serving as Inspiration for Lakers’ Bronny James

Bronny James received a lot of criticism in his rookie season after the Los Angeles Lakers drafted him with the No. 55 overall pick. Labeled as a nepotism-rooted draft pick, James did not meet the expectations set for him as the son of four-time NBA champion LeBron James.

But Lakers coach JJ Redick has not given up on James. He said he wants to see James build more stamina this offseason so he can start to resemble game-changing players like Indiana Pacers guard TJ McConnell and Miami Heat point guard Davion Mitchell.

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"On every single possession, they're (McConnell and Mitchell) in the game -- whether that's offensively or defensively -- they're able to impact it with how hard they play," Redick told ESPN's Dave McMenamin. "With the defensive pickup points, the disruption, being able to get downhill ... I think we have all seen these amazing flashes of it from Bronny. And to get to that next level for him, it's cardio fitness.”

Redick acknowledged James' medical history and how that could be affecting the development of his physical fitness. While practicing with USC two summers ago, James went into cardiac arrest as a result of a congenital heart defect and underwent surgery after the incident.

James has since been cleared by doctors but he said the incident has impacted his immune system. As a result, James often has to sit out of workouts, which sets him back in his conditioning.

"He's cleared. ... I get that there's a history there of a really scary thing that he had to live through, and I think it's tough to push past certain points for him, but he's going to get there. He's going to get there," Redick said.

McConnell played a major role in the Pacers’ NBA Finals run and was able to step up when superstar point guard Tyrese Haliburton went down with a torn Achilles tendon. And Redick wants James to be that player for the Lakers.

James spent the majority of last season with the South Bay Lakers in the G League, where he averaged 21.9 points, 5.1 rebounds and 5.5 assists in 11 games.

He showed heightened confidence in Las Vegas when he averaged 16.3 points, 4.3 assists and 2.6 rebounds in three Summer League games. He still has more work to do to be able to emulate McConnell’s playing style but the Lakers organization have seen promising improvements from the 20-year-old.

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