Best Plays From Bronny James In Second Summer League

Originally the 55th pick last year, James inherited lofty and unrealistic expectations given who his father is. He faced pressure that not many second round picks have felt, which could be difficult to handle.

All along though, Bronny has stayed focused on the task at hand, which is developing his game to be an NBA rotation player. He showed significant improvements in the G League during his rookie season and that continued in his second Summer League, where he noted that he was feeling much more comfortable, especially as an on-ball guard initiating the offense.

Now that his sophomore season is a few months away, the former USC Trojan opened some eyes with his two-way play during the summer. In four appearances in Las Vegas, James averaged 14.3 points, 2.8 rebounds and 3.8 assists on 47.6% from the field.

Head coach JJ Redick emphasized a desire to develop talent when he got hired and James is an early case study of that ideology. In general, the Lakers have not been known as a franchise that has homegrown players, so this is a change of pace for them.

With a new CBA, every team in the NBA is beginning to focus more on drafting well to have cost-controlled contracts. Having players on long-term, low-money deals is a simple way to deepen rosters and L.A. is looking to follow that trend with Bronny and others.

Second-round draft picks are hit and miss, but Redick and the front office clearly believe in James’ talent despite the name recognition. Plays like these demonstrate that necessary steps are being taken and he needs to continue to take strides.

Compared to Bronny’s first Summer League, this year was night and day when it comes to his comfortability on the court.

Admittedly, the second-year guard may not quite be ready for rotational minutes this year, but Redick could throw him into the fire at times like last season and hopefully, this time around James will be better equipped to hold his own on an NBA floor.

Bronny James appreciates support from family during Summer League

Playing for the Lakers is not for everyone, and especially for a 20-year-old that is the son of LeBron James. So, there is a ton of unnecessary added pressure as Bronny James navigates through the early stages of his NBA career.

However, he has handled all the outside noise like a veteran and maintained his focus on playing basketball. As he tackled his second Summer League appearance, his family was right there to support him through all the craziness, which he greatly appreciated.