It has been a whirlwind start to this year’s NBA campaign. Bronny James has been a focus of stories that otherwise chronicle, the rash of injuries in the league as well as early MVP standouts. Bronny James’ story was a fresh one, finally getting to take the floor with his hall-of-fame father was sentimental. Having said that, it was evident that he could use more time developing. A move to the G-League (The NBA’s development farm system) is something fans and analysts alike, have been clamoring for since Bronny’s draft.

I wanted to see the Kodak moment personally. Give me LeBron and Bronny in actual game time!! As fate would have it, I got exactly that. It was then that I realized that Bronny could use some time in the G-League. What I realized was a very subtle thing. I wasn’t concerned with making shots, and he didn’t seem too nervous on the floor. But after about three minutes of play, he seemed gassed while back on the bench. I think Bronny got a crash course in how fast the NBA speed is.

Going to the G-League will do wonders for Bronny’s conditioning, as he didn’t play as much collegiate basketball as others in his draft class. His game will come along and grow as well. But there’s no way that you can successfully exhibit your skills on the highest level without better conditioning. As much as I feel that columnists and analysts have been overly critical of Bronny, I will agree that the G-League is the place for him, for now. However, I could never imagine that was the place where he would start the season, it can’t be that way, as a Laker.

In a proper world, Bronny would be back in the NBA after the all-star break. But I’m not in the business of rushing him. At this juncture, the priority should be to maximize the potential of Bronny’s skills. If it takes a full season, then so be it. But the next time we see Bronny on an NBA floor, I think the people are going to expect lobs galore between father and son. Bounce pass backdoor cuts, and drive and kicks to the baseline are hopefully in the father/son duos’ future.

But for now, let’s hope for the good health and progress of Bronny. May he continue to develop and maintain the passion that he has for the game of basketball. Hopefully, upon his return, we’ll see play that warrants more positive analysis and coverage of him. Let’s always bear in mind that this is still a kid, navigating pressure very few ever have. I’m an optimist, and I believe in him. By the second half of this NBA season, we will see a much improved Bronny James.