Bronny James Excels for Lakers in Summer League

On Monday, the Los Angeles Lakers faced off against their crosstown in the Clippers in Summer League. It was a low-scoring affair, with LA coming away with the win.

Bronny James, drafted at No. 55 in the 2024 NBA Draft, has been a focal point of attention of the Lakers over the last year. Despite not having much of a role for the team’s core, his being the son of all-timer LeBron James has put him in the spotlight.

On Monday, he shone, playing as one of the Summer League roster’s best players. In the loss, James added a team-high 17 points on a hyper-efficient 6-for-9 shooting, cashing in on three of his four attempted triples. Even more, he was able to add five rebounds and assists apiece, continuing to play plenty of stingy defense.

So far, James’ role in the NBA has revolved around the his defense, which is better than expected for an undersized combo guard. 

James has played in the Lakers' entire Summer Leauge slate, but has yet to provide the all-around imapct he did Monday. His game was a solid first step toward continued growth.

There's no guarantee James pans out as a consistent role player for the Lakers, but he's undoubtedly been worth the second round pick they spent on him. His feel for the game projects him to be a rotational-level player, and he certainly hasn't been among the bottom tier of the '24 draft class.

He's already seen success in the G League at various points, and still has plenty of time left to improve his defense, passing and shooting to insert himself into the long-term plans.