Lakers' Bronny James primed to take a leap in Year 2

Typically, a Summer League game isn't the ideal barometer to judge a young player, given the lack of competition and low stakes involved. However, Bronny has a target on his back due to his last name, which is why many NBA and G League players tried to make his life difficult as a rookie. Furthermore, several players on the Heat's roster on Sunday were trying to catch the attention of the front office, giving their maximum effort and not letting Bronny off the hook easily. 

To that end, both of Bronny's three-point shots on Sunday were heavily contested — a positive sign for a player who passed up such difficult shots as a rookie. The 6-foot-2 guard showed improvements in his game during the latter stages of his rookie year but rarely ever drained contested threes, especially off the dribble. 

History suggests that players take strides after a full NBA season and an offseason under their belts. Still, Bronny knows that it won't be easy to find minutes on a veteran Lakers roster gunning for a championship. He plans to get on the floor with his hustle and defensive presence. 

"To get myself on the floor, I've got to be a defensive menace," he told reporters, looking ahead to his second NBA season. "That's my main focus, getting conditioned this year. It's been shown that I know how to score the ball a little bit, I'm staying true to that, but also focusing on the defensive end."

Bronny will compete with fellow sophomore Dalton Knecht, Jordan Goodwin, Gabe Vincent and Shake Milton for backup guard minutes. He is widely expected to stay with the Lakers for the entire season, unlike last year when he spent most of the year in the G League.