The Los Angeles Lakers essentially took the night off on Thursday, sitting Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, in addition to the injured LeBron James, Dorian Finney-Smith, and Jarred Vanderbilt, against the Milwaukee Bucks. The result was to be expected as the Lakers lost 118-89 in a game where they struggled on both ends of the floor.
This decision on the second night of a back-to-back and fourth game in five nights is certainly understandable by JJ Redick. Taking the loss against an Eastern Conference team instead of a Western Conference rival during a tight playoff race also makes a ton of sense.
Moreover, it gave the coaching staff an opportunity to take a look at a few players who haven't gotten much playing time this season. That included Bronny James, who had a career night off the bench. In 30 minutes of action, James scored 17 points, grabbed three rebounds, and had five assists on 7/10 shooting from the field, including 2/4 from three.
New story: After a career night for Bronny James, JJ Redick restated his belief in the Lakers rookie: “He's going to have a chance to really make an impact." https://t.co/DSfBOjSwRs
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) March 21, 2025
This breakout performance from the rookie caught Redick's eye. The first-time head coach said that he wasn't surprised by James' performance and that he expects the 20-year-old to "have a chance to make an impact", per ESPN's Dave McMenamin.
"I think his confidence is growing. ... I think the next step is just becoming an elite-conditioned athlete. Because when [he] does that, with his physical tools and his burst and his handle -- and we think he's going to be an above-average to really good NBA shooter -- he's going to have a chance to really make an impact. "JJ Redick on Bronny James
This will hopefully give Bronny the confidence he needs to take the next step in his career. Having the ball in his hands more and getting the chance to showcase what he can do in a low-pressure game certainly helped James. Now, he will look to build upon Thursday's success.
Redick believes that his conditioning needs to improve, and considering that James has only played in 22 NBA games in his career, that will surely come.