Last season as a rookie, the plan was always for Bronny James to spend plenty of time with the Los Angeles Lakers’ South Bay affiliate in the G League.
Now in his second year in the NBA, it’s been a similar story for him. James played in 18 games for South Bay last season, and he’s tied that at 18 games this year with less than a month left in the regular season.
Based on the Lakers’ depth chart, there just didn’t appear to be much room in the rotation for the second-year guard. It always made sense that he was going to get more opportunities to continue developing his game in the G League.
As Bronny James has navigated the shuffle between the Lakers and South Bay, one of the things he’s been working on has been trying to find the balance between looking for his shot and being a playmaker for his teammates. At the urging of both the Lakers’ head coach JJ Redick and South Bay head coach Zach Guthrie, James has focused on hunting for his shot, should the opportunity present itself.
“They always tell me that they want me to be as aggressive as possible and look to score,” James told ClutchPoints in an exclusive interview. “It’s just been my mindset at all times now. If they give it to me, I’ll go get a bucket. If not, then just back it out in space and make a play. Not really thinking too hard and just playing basketball.”
It’s a work in progress. As a point guard, James has a natural affinity to keep the ball moving and get his teammates involved. Last year, he averaged 4.6 assists per game while in the G League. This season, he’s a little under four assists. During his first two games with South Bay, he had posted back-to-back games of eight assists.
That was followed by a seven-game stretch where he averaged 5.3 assists per game. With the Lakers, James has had two games of six assists this season. He walks a fine line for all players trying to be a successful guard in the NBA. It’s all about finding the right balance between looking for your shot, and keeping the offense humming and getting your teammates scoring opportunities.
“I think it’s just staying aggressive. Just looking for my shot first, and if the defender steps in front of me, make the pass then,” James said. “Just kind of play my game and feel out the defense when the game is going on.”
Bronny James’ G League development with South Bay
While opportunities with the Lakers are few and far between, there is ample playing time available for James in the G League. Through mid-March, he had appeared in 18 games with South Bay, tying his total appearances from last season.
He’s been averaging 13.3 points, down from his 18.6 a year ago. His overall numbers are slightly down; 3.0 rebounds compared to 4.4, and 3.8 assists compared to 4.6. But his efficiency has improved. James is shooting 48.7 percent from the field, up from the 41.9 percent he shot last year. And his 3-point efficiency has gone from 33.6 percent to 34.4 percent.
It’s just been a balanced approach for James, a byproduct of the game slowing down for him, as well as playing with a talented South Bay squad.
“Yeah I would say so. We have a lot of talent on our team so it’s kind of an easier job on my part,” James said. “I’m just trying to do everything it takes to win, whether that’s getting buckets or facilitating or playing defense.”
Another way James’ time with South Bay has helped his development is getting to play alongside his ‘stay ready’ Lakers teammates in live game action. He’s been suited up alongside Adou Thiero, Dalton Knecht, Kobe Bufkin, Drew Timme, Chris Mañon and Nick Smith Jr. That group often scrimmages against each other in the ‘stay ready’ games following Lakers practice.
It’s a group that doesn’t often see the court on a regular basis in the NBA, but playing together with South Bay allows them to build cohesiveness and to get opportunities to continue implementing what the Lakers’ coaching staff wants to see from their development.
“I like getting my teammates involved because they’re all really talented too and they can go get a bucket,” James said. “So I don’t have to be the only one trying to score the whole game. It’s definitely an easier job when I’m playing with them.”
Bronny James’ rest of season outlook
While the Lakers certainly have aspirations of making a strong run in the NBA playoffs, South Bay has emerged as a contender themselves once the G League postseason rolls around. They recently set a franchise record of 12 straight wins, and they are in sole possession of first place in the G League’s Western Conference standings.
James figures to play a much bigger role in South Bay’s postseason run than with the Lakers, provided he is assigned when the G League playoffs begin at the end of the month. He’s already looking ahead to a potential run with this group.
“We’re the number one seed in the Western Conference standings right now,” James said. “We’re on a winning streak, and I think we can go far in the playoffs. Just do whatever it takes to win. I think this is good for my development.”
The G League Finals are scheduled to end right before the NBA playoffs begin. Should South Bay make it that far, it’s probably safe to assume James will be on the roster. And then he’ll be back with the Lakers in time for them to make a potential playoff run.
And regardless of what team he is with, he’s going to bring his same winning mentality.
“I think it’s just coming out and doing whatever the coach needs. If I got back to the Lakers, it’s going to be the same thing,” James said. “Just playing a role and excelling at that. I have different roles on both teams, so whatever that might be, just doing that at a high level.”
