Magic Johnson tells Lakers what he would do with Bronny James next season
Magic Johnson doesn’t think Bronny James is yet ‘ready’ for NBA action with the Lakers, and advised his former team to be patient with the rookie.
James, the son of Lakers star LeBron, was selected 55th overall in June’s NBA Draft after an average season at USC in which he averaged just 4.8 points per game.
And while Johnson sees talent in the 19-year-old, he believes he should spend this year with the Lakers’ development team, the South Bay Lakers.
“If I’m Bronny, I’d tell my dad, ‘Just let me play in the G League all season so I can develop,’” Johnson said. Jimmy Kimmel Live.
‘He needs playing time. He doesn’t have to sit on the Laker bench and not play.”
Magic Johnson explained on Jimmy Kimmel Live how the Lakers should handle Bronny James
Bronny James played for the Lakers in the Summer League after being drafted in the second round
Bronny’s lone year at USC was disrupted after he suffered cardiac arrest the previous summer, forcing him to miss the first eight games of the season.
His USC squad also performed below expectations, finishing 15-18 overall and just 8-12 in the Pac 12.
Still, it’s unlikely he would have been drafted had it not been for his father’s Lakers, and his new team doesn’t really have the luxury of handing out minutes.
With 39-year-old James and 31-year-old Anthony Davis leading the team, the Lakers are certainly a team in win-now mode. That’s why Johnson thinks Bronny should play in the G League.
“That’s not a knock on him – he’s just not ready,” Johnson added. “He needs to develop more and then he will be ready because he has great talents and skills, but he needs to develop those skills much better if he wants to play 15 to 20 minutes a night in the NBA or more. ‘
Bronny will be teammates with his father, LeBron James, on the LA Lakers this season
Johnson, a three-time MVP and five-time NBA champion with the Lakers, isn’t the only one who envisions Bronny spending time developing in the G League.
New head coach JJ Redick spoke about (probably the final episode of) the Lowe Post with Zach Lowe on how the team plans to use the G League to develop Bronny.
“I would expect us to use the G League for certain reasons,” he said. “I think Bronny is a young guy, I have a lot of confidence in him as a basketball player. He is kind of the first player that we can shape and help develop. “That’s why we’re going to look at the G League as a tool in our player development system.”
Redick added that the G League is “not a relegation by any means,” but said Bronny’s NBA debut “will come sooner rather than later.”
The rookie played for the Lakers in the Summer League in July.
The Lakers open their preseason on October 4 against the Timberwolves, and also open their regular season against Minnesota on October 22.