Los Angeles Lakers 2024 second-round pick Bronny James didn’t fill the stat sheet in his preseason debut on Friday against the Minnesota Timberwolves, but he did enough to earn some praise from his head coach.

After James finished with two points, a rebound, an assist and a game-high three blocks in 16 minutes of action in a 124-107 loss, Lakers first-year head coach JJ Redick said he was impressed with the 19’s performance year old. defensive impact.

“He can do some things defensively at his size that are really unique, and I think he can be a really disruptive defender,” Redick said, according to Dave McMenamin of ESPN. “That manifested itself.”

James shot just 1-for-6 from the field, but he didn’t let his offensive struggles slow down his effort on the other end of the court. His first taste of NBA action came when his legendary father, Lakers star LeBron James, watched from the bench.

While the youngster still has areas to develop, Redick added that he is encouraged by what he has seen so far and also praised him for his attitude.

“On the offensive side, he’s still figuring out who he is. That’s our job as a player development program, just to build him in,” Redick said. “But honestly, he’s so easy to coach. He’s got a great soul. And he’s just got great energy. I enjoy being around him. I’m rooting for him. He’s a good player that we would like to have in our club.” program.”

The Lakers play their second preseason game against the Phoenix Suns on Sunday and Redick said he expects LeBron to be active, which could be the first time the father-son duo appears in a game together.