JJ Redick increased Bronny James’ playing time over the Lakers’ final six regular-season games, likely as preparation for the playoffs, where the team will be shorthanded.
On Wednesday, Redick responded when asked about the trend of playing LeBron James’ son in the postseason:
“We’re gonna have to have all hands on deck. … I think Bronny’s improved a lot. I think we trust him. The shooting piece, I’m a believer in because of how well he shot it the last two years in the G League. … He’s improved a ton defensively in terms of his body positioning both on and off the ball.”
Luka Doncic (hamstring) and Austin Reaves (oblique) are indefinitely out. ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne reported early this month that Doncic has a chance to return if Redick’s team could make it a long series, while Reaves isn’t expected to play.
With Doncic and Reaves uncertain to return, JJ Redick is unsurprisingly asking every healthy player, including Bronny James, to step up in their respective roles. Bronny, who made 4 of 7 shots, including 3 of 4 from deep, against the Utah Jazz on Sunday, could be given meaningful playoff minutes.
Redick will lean on LeBron James to run the offense with Marcus Smart as his primary backup. The former analyst could also have both on the floor at the same time and have Luke Kennard orchestrate the plays for the second-stringers. Bronny could be in the mix based on how Redick sees the matchups.
Fans React to JJ Redick’s Comment About Playing Bronny James in Playoffs
JJ Redick’s plan of potentially playing Bronny James in the playoffs was greeted with reactions from fans. One fan wrote:
“Translation: He won’t be playing. When the games matter, Bronny doesn’t play. It’s not a new thing.”
Another fan added:
“If you trust someone, you don’t start the sentence with ‘I think.'”
One more fan continued:
“Aka ‘I’ll play Bronny and make my boss, LeBron, happy.'”
Another fan commented:
“No disrespect to Bronny, but this is big boy territory.”
One fan tweeted:
“Improvement? He’s torched every night.”
Last season, Redick played James a total of four minutes in the playoffs. Only time will tell if the coach will give the combo guard more playing time due to the Lakers’ hobbled roster.
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