Is D’Angelo Russell dealing with the risk of losing his starter’s spot on the Los Angeles Lakers to Bronny James? Most NBA fans will know that Bronny has become the center of attention after the Lakers decided to draft him with the 55th pick of the 2024 NBA Draft. After all, this has allowed him to play alongside LeBron James and fulfill the 4x NBA champion’s longtime desire.
While having Bronny on the Lakers’ roster will draw more attention toward the team and its dynamics, one must wonder if there is any chance that Bronny will be able to get a starting spot on the Lakers. That will only occur if he replaces one of the current starters such as D’Angelo Russell.
D’Angelo Russell was criticized the most for the Los Angeles Lakers’ failures
Although the majority of fans criticized D’Angelo Russell whenever the Lakers lost games, he has decided to pick up his 18.7 million player option to play next season with the Los Angeles Lakers. This inadvertently means that D’Angelo Russell will be looking to prove his worth towards the end of an expiring deal.
It is still possible that the Lakers decide to go with D’Angelo Russell due to his experience. All decisions regarding minutes allotment and roster construction will be made by new head coach JJ Redick.
Bronny James could be a better defender than D’Angelo Russell
Even if D’Angelo Russell manages to become more consistent on the offensive end of the court, there will certainly be times when the Lakers need elite perimeter defenders to get stops. Since Bronny James is arguably more athletic when compared to Russell and might play defense more eagerly, it is possible for him to get minutes on the court.
Moreover, Bronny James has also proven to be quite a good shooter at the Draft combine. If those skills are able to translate to the Los Angeles Lakers, Bronny might be given a fair amount of playing time. Unless the other guards on the Lakers elevate their play, their minutes will be cut short. Fans are left wondering what the starting lineup could look like for the Lakers next season.