BY HENRY ABBOTT, JAROD HECTOR, and DAVID THORPE
Often, our Monday content meetings morph into doctoral lectures from Coach David Thorpe. This morning’s version was one such sesh.
Off the bat, our subject became Bronny James’ Summer League debut in the California Classic; he managed four points in 22 minutes against the Kings. David had many concerns—chief among them being the Lakers’ potential decision to keep Bronny with the Lakers and out of the G League. He’s a big fan of the Lakers committing to their young draft pick—it’s far too common for the league to quit on good prospects. The problem is that he’ll need thousands of minutes to get good, and it’s hard to see how he’ll get those.
Bronny’s situation is uniquely complicated. His father is arguably the most famous athlete on the planet and wields more power than possibly any player in any sport ever has. Klutch Sports Group, run by LeBron confidant Rich Paul, has become the most influential agency in the NBA. Yet, Bronny might be the 2024 draft pick furthest away from being ready to play in the league.
With all that in mind, we prodded David for what Bronny would need to survive in the NBA.
His answer: 5,000 reference points.
DAVID: What worries me about Bronny is the decision not to send him to the G League—whether that’s coming from the Lakers or from Rich Paul and Klutch. The Lakers’ decision to rest Bronny’s knee and hold him out of his second game doesn’t worry me as much as Rich Paul, Klutch, and the decision to keep Bronny out of the G League this year, if that holds up (and it might not). Bronny should be in the G League. That way he’s not sitting and watching; that way he’s building confidence and learning.
I also find it interesting that Bronny’s not playing point guard. A lot of people are hammering me for saying he could play the point, but putting him in charge of the offense will get him the reps he needs to overcome his nervousness and lack of awareness. The point is, the Lakers need a better strategy to help him become a player that makes a good team better.
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