Bronny James looked to be unencumbered in his first G League road game, as he put forth the best effort of his young professional career. The rookie guard came ready to play in Thursday's battle between the South Bay Lakers and Valley Suns, scoring a game-high 30 points on 13-of-23 shooting in a 106-100 loss. In addition to his stellar offensive efficiency, James made sure to flaunt his impressive athleticism.

The son of all-time great LeBron James cut to the basket and finished off an alley-oop in the first half. He rose high, jammed the ball home and then stared down one of his opponents. James' confidence seems to be emerging, which should make his father and the rest of the Lakers organization incredibly happy.

Management has constructed an unorthodox plan for the No. 55 draft pick, sending him to South Bay only for home games until the team's latest showdown with Valley. Some people like Hall of Famer and TNT analyst Charles Barkley criticized the approach, believing it to be detrimental to James' development. The more court time the former four-star recruit receives, the more comfortable he should be on offense.

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Bronny James takes a big step forward for South Bay Lakers

James was mighty poised in his road debut for the G League Lakers, starting and ending strong to give his squad a chance for victory versus the first-place team in the West division. He lacked aggression and efficiency in his first three games with South Bay, averaging 8.7 points on 29.4 percent shooting entering Thursday. Perhaps his eruption against the Valley Suns can pave the way for more consistent production going forward.

The Los Angeles Lakers are obviously exercising patience when it comes to James, but they could use more help on their NBA roster. LA has squandered its hot start to the season and now sits in eighth place in the Western Conference with a 13-11 record. LeBron James' lingering foot injury only adds more obstacles. The Lakers need a spark.

It will not yet come from Bronny James, but he has a big performance to build on after his latest G League matchup. If the 20-year-old can stay on the attack, more promising moments could follow.