Last year, rookie Bronny James played just four minutes in the playoffs, and this year, things will change. The sophomore year began with little trust from the head coach once again, as the 21-year-old was assigned to G-League duties. But it seems juggling between the Los Angeles Lakers and South Bay proved crucial as JJ Redick heaped huge praise on LeBron James’ son ahead of the playoff matchup against the Kevin Durant-led Houston Rockets.

“We’re gonna have to have all hands on deck for the series,” said JJ Redick on Wednesday. “That’s just reality when you’re shorthanded. He’ll have to be ready. I think Bronny’s improved a lot, and I think we trust him. The shooting piece, I’m a believer in because of how well he’s 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. We want him to continue to evolve as a disruptor and defender as well.”

The head coach also acknowledged Bronny James’ recent strongest games of the season. In 18 minutes off the bench against the Utah Jazz, he contributed with  11 points, one rebound, four assists, and one steal. Most importantly, James Jr. shot 57.1% from the field and converted three of his four shots from beyond the arc. He’s also hit six of his last 10 three-pointers in his last three games. His defensive efforts have also not gone unnoticed.

This season, James Jr. has a defensive rating of 114.2, which is not far away from the best defender on the team, Marcus Smart’s 110.6. Clearly, JJ Redick has seen this, and he’s ready to offer more responsibilities. After all, the Lakers remain without Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves for the all-important stretch. In the final six games of the regular season, Bronny James averaged 7.2 points and 1.8 assists while shooting 47.2% from the field and 42.9% from three in 16.8 minutes per game. The minutes were consistent, and the 21-year-old responded with efficient production.

During his rookie year, Bronny featured in just 27 games and had only 6.7 minutes per game, producing just 2.3 points on 38.1 eFG%. Now, his confidence has increased, as in his second year, Bronny scored 40% from the field and 38% from beyond the arc. Thus, his eFG% rose to 50%. It’s clear that JJ Redick can rely on the sophomore guard.

JJ Redick already praised Bronny James for being in a tough situation

Before earning minutes since the March 25 matchup against the Pacers, Bronny had 0 minutes in the past seven games. In fact, before that, the last time he suited up for the Purple and Gold was for the March 12 game and hadn’t scored since March 1. It seemed the trust from JJ Redick was low because during that time, James Jr. played more than 10 minutes all the way back on February 10 against the San Antonio Spurs. He even guarded Victor Wembanyama for a few possessions, even had a viral stop. After the game, Bronny even stated he was ready for such difficult matchups.

So when the non-playing streak broke against the Pacers, JJ Redick clarified about the expectations for Bronny James. “Our staff has a lot of confidence in him. Felt like this was a game we really needed him. It was a game that, you know, his athleticism, his defense, you know, he had two really, really good defensive possessions, individual defense in the first half. I think the biggest thing with him is he’s got a lot of confidence right now.”

Since that game, the head coach has continued to provide minutes to the 21-year-old. He did produce some turnovers, which even LeBron James didn’t approve of. But that’s expected, as Bronny James evolved from non-playing star to a regular contributor.