Lakers' Bronny James Showing Real Growth in G League

James’ performance was fueled by his 6-of-8 shooting from beyond the arc, which marked his career high for any game since being drafted by the Lakers. He has made the most of his increased playing time in his G League stints, as he’s stepped comfortably into a primary offensive role. 

The USC product continues to excel behind his scoring and playmaking with South Bay while the team remains undefeated in his appearances, holding a 14-0 mark this regular season. 

Over that span, he’s averaging 15.8 points while shooting 56.4 percent from the field and 45.6 percent from beyond the arc with 3.6 assists and 3.1 rebounds in 28.9 minutes per game. He’s scored in double figures all but once, including three 20-point performances that are topped by his season high in Saturday’s win over the Skyforce.

It's encouraging to see James play in the G League, but it hasn’t translated into increased playing time in the Lakers' rotation. He’s averaging 2.1 points on 40.6 percent shooting from the field and 41.9 percent from three-point range, along with 1.1 assists in 7.1 minutes per game in 34 appearances. 

James has one double-digit scoring effort while receiving a Did Not Play Coach’s Decision designation 28 times this season. However, he has been given more consistent playing time lately; he took the floor in each of the last two games on the NBA level.

After Wednesday’s win over the Indiana Pacers, James was singled out by head coach JJ Redick and Luka Doncic for his impactful play in 14 minutes of action. Both pointed out his pull-up jumper with less than four minutes left in the fourth quarter as a key moment that cooled down the Pacers’ late-game push.

James will need to continue making the most of his opportunities to secure the team’s trust and earn a bigger role.

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