Bronny James fills Anthony Edwards’ shoes before Lakers-Timberwolves playoff clash

The Los Angeles Lakers are set to take on the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round of the NBA Playoffs. It’s a fun matchup that will feature LeBron James and Luka Doncic taking on Anthony Edwards and Rudy Gobert. In preparation for the series, it sounds like head coach JJ Redick is using Bronny James in a unique way.

Reports indicate that Redick is using James, as well as guard Shake Milton, playing the role of Edwards in practice, according to Dave McMenamin of ESPN. That means the Lakers are utilizing James as a scout version of Edwards to help the team prepare for the Timberwolves’ star.

“JJ Redick says Shake Milton and Bronny James split time playing the role of Anthony Edwards on the Wolves scout team at Lakers practice Wednesday.”

Of course, not many can replicate what Edwards does on the court. He’s arguably one of the best guards in the league and gives the Timberwolves a chance to pull off an upset over the Lakers. The 23-year-old phenom finished the regular season averaging 27.6 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game while shooting 44.7% from the field and 39.5% from beyond the arc.

Regardless, Bronny James is tasked with an important role ahead of the NBA Playoffs. He may not see much playing time in the postseason, however, he’s at least playing a part in helping the Lakers prepare for the opening series. Although James isn’t nearly as prolific a scorer as Edwards, his athleticism and positioning during scout games can at least give Los Angeles an idea of how to handle the Timberwolves superstar.

Bronny James played in 27 games for the Lakers in the regular season and didn’t put up the best numbers in his rookie year. However, he proved to be incredibly reliable in the G-League, proving to be more consistent than his peers selected late in the second round of the 2024 NBA Draft. During his time in the G-League, the 20-year-old guard averaged 21.9 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 5.4 assists per game while shooting 44.0% from the field and 38.0% from the three-point line.