Bronny James Is The Latest Recipient Of JJ Redick's Tough Love

On the grand stage of the NBA, the hesitation to take an open shot is just as infuriating for coaches as an ill-timed attempt. Over the weekend, JJ Redick gave one of his young players an earful for passing up a shot, not once but twice.

When the Los Angeles Lakers visited the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday, Bronny James got a rare starting nod as Redick decided to field a three-guard lineup. A minute and a half into the game, Luka Doncic found Bronny in the left corner with no Bucks defender covering him.

Giannis Antetokounmpo, however, started to close out. Perhaps intimidated by the Greek Freak’s speed and length, Bronny refused to pull the trigger, instead putting the ball on the floor and eventually making a pass.

Two minutes later, Doncic found Bronny once again, this time in the right corner. Kyle Kuzma, who has a six-inch height advantage over the youngster, sprinted towards Bronny. Apparently, this was enough to make Bronny second-guess himself, leading to a pass to Austin Reaves with eight seconds left on the shot clock.

Redick showed no hesitation as he unloaded on the second-generation athlete. “Bronny, you gotta shoot the f**king ball!” the Lakers head coach yelled.

It may have been no coincidence, then, that Bronny played just a total of 10 minutes in that game. The Lakers ended up winning 119-95, but LeBron James’ eldest son had just a rebound, an assist, and a steal to show for his efforts. He did take two outside shots later in the game, but he came up empty on both attempts.

On multiple occasions, Redick has publicly chastised his players for making basketball mistakes. Earlier this month, he berated center Jaxson Hayes for some fourth-quarter lapses on defense against the Miami Heat. Hayes was promptly benched in the aftermath of his mistakes.

For a sophomore like Bronny, moments of self-doubt on the court do no favors for his desire to get more playing time. With his father set to get regular minutes in the near future and other Lakers like Gabe Vincent recovering from their injuries, Bronny will have to play more decisively whenever he’s given the opportunity to step on the court.