Analysis of the new season rotation: Can Brownie stand out from the Lakers crowded back line?

Translator's note: The original text was published in BleacherReport. The data in the text were as of the time of publication (local time on August 29). The dates and times involved are all local time. The views in the article have nothing to do with the translator and the platform.

Some of the best players in the NBA were selected in the second round. Nicola Jokic. Draymond Green. Brownie James.

OK, Brownie is far from that level. But as the son of LeBron James, he is one of the most watched second-round picks in league history.

In addition to hype (which even continued into away games in his rookie season), Brownie continued to improve in his first year, eventually breaking out against the Bucks in March, scoring a career-high 17 points. Through his performance in the G League and Summer League, Brownie has proven that he has the potential to be a qualified NBA player.

But is he ready to enter the Lakers' real rotation this season? What can Brownie bring to the team? Brownie is expected to become a point guard who is mainly defensive and can serve as a secondary playmaker. He has shown his abilities in the G League level and has also shown his potential in his sporadic time playing for NBA teams.

There is already a more mature Brownie player in the Lakers - Gabe Vincent. The 29-year-old veteran defender is 6-foot-2 inches (about 1.88 meters) tall and has a strong body of 200 pounds (about 91 kilograms). During his 2021-22 season, Vincent averaged 8.7 points and 3.1 assists per game, with a three-point shooting percentage of 36.8%. The following year, he played an important role in the team's NBA Finals, averaging 12.7 points and 3.5 assists in 22 playoff games, and shooting 37.8% from the field.

If Brownie in 2024 can reach Vincent's level, it will be a successful operation for the Lakers. Brownie may be eager for more, but the initial expectation is to get into the regular rotation.

Ideally, Brownie will become an excellent outside defender and can shoot nearly 40% of the three-point shooting percentage - refer to old-school Lakers defender Derek Fisher. Brownie still has a long way to go to prove that he has this ability, but that's the goal. It would be even better if he could further develop into a more dynamic shooting creator who can take on major organizational tasks. The

Brownny lacks for an NBA player, Brownie is relatively short. Brownie's height data are somewhat different. He is registered at USC at 6 feet 4 inches (about 1.93 meters), but his actual height is measured to be slightly below 6 feet 2 inches (about 1.88 meters). Despite this, NBA official data still shows that he is 6 feet 3 inches (about 1.91 meters) and weighs 210 pounds (about 95 kg). His college career was shortened by severe heart problems. Although he finally recovered, the incident slowed down his progress.

Nevertheless, Brownie has learned from adversity and can bring a lot to an NBA team. He just needs to make up for a lot of shortcomings, especially if he wants to be a point guard at the rotation level. Brownie inherited some of his father's natural basketball IQ. He has a good reading ability of the game, but is still learning how to use his relatively short body to put these ideas into practice.

His biggest variable is his shooting ability. If he can be an average to excellent shooter while providing tough perimeter defense, he can have a long NBA career. He is qualified as a rookie in defense. This also requires a learning process.

coach JJ Redick also mentioned that Brownie needs to become a top player in physical fitness. For a player who is not expected to dominate the offensive end, he needs to have enough endurance to try his best on both sides of the offense and defense.

Finally, Brownie was often passive in offensive end when he was at USC, and this initially continued into the Lakers' career. His aggressiveness has improved throughout last season, especially after he gained more workouts in the G League. Nepotism is a double-edged sword after a brief Southern California career and health crisis, if his name was Jenrony Booms, he might have returned to college. The Lakers chose him because of his father, the top star since joining the team in 2018.

Negogue brought Brownie into the league, but he also put in a huge effort, and some scouts from rival teams also considered him a potential player. As his father’s son, he will have longer time to prove himself than the standard second-round final rookie, but ultimately his work ethics, skills and motivation will determine his place in the league to a greater extent.

With that being said, LeBron's career with the Lakers may be coming to an end. The team got Luca Doncic in February, and the younger All-Star is now the team's facade. If LeBron leaves the Lakers as a free agent after the end of the season (or is traded before February trade deadline), will his son still have a place on the team?

Getting rid of nepotism will still be a challenge for Brownie. This relationship may have allowed him to enter the Lakers, but it may also become an obstacle to the team's future development path.

Lakers' rotation lineup

Brownny needs to beat more experienced players at his position. The team's main starters at the defender are Austin Reeves and Doncic. The pair played about 35 minutes per game, leaving the rest of the field for a total of 26 minutes.

In addition to Vincent, who averaged 21.2 minutes per game last season, the team also introduced veteran defender Marcus Smart. Last season, the No. 6 pick in 2014 played for the Grizzlies and Wizards, and he averaged 20 minutes of playing time in 34 appearances. Vincent and Smart are both defensive-oriented defenders, able to shoot three-pointers (although not stable enough) and will get most of the defender's substitute time.

Smart's main problem is his health. If he missed 20-50 games like he did in recent years, that could give Brownie some playing time. Redick doesn't have many other options at the defender unless he lets forwards like Dalton Kneckett, Adu Tiero or Jared Vanderbilt go to misplace defense or serve as a defender.

Brownie may have a hard time getting regular playing time initially, but injuries, trades, and opportunities may come if he can shoot at a high shooting rate and complete defensive tasks well.

Brownie will go all out with the Lakers to participate in training camp and early season games, but he will likely move to the South Bay Lakers in early November. At the G League showdown in Orlando in December, Brownie is likely to be one of the team's key players. The second half of the

G League will end with the playoffs that will start in early April next year. Once it's over, Brownie should be able to devote himself to the Los Angeles Lakers' playoff journey.

Considering how much Brownie has improved over the year, he has made productive use of his time at the South Bay Lakers. This shouldn't change this season unless injury or a significant improvement pushes him into the rotation.