LOS ANGELES – In the NBA, when injuries happen, it usually opens the door for opportunity for other players on the roster. That was the case for the Los Angeles Lakers when Bronny James found himself in the rotation following the ankle injury to Gabe Vincent.
Gabe Vincent suffered the injury back during the Lakers’ win against the Sacramento Kings on Oct. 23. He has been sidelined since, but is set to make his return to the lineup on Tuesday night against the Utah Jazz. It’s not yet clear what Vincent’s return means for Bronny James’ spot in the rotation, but following Lakers’ shootaround on Tuesday morning, Vincent spoke about the winning mentality he’s seen from the younger James.
“It’s tough to kind of have your role change night to night, you know what I mean? I’m very proud of how he embraces the adversity that gets set before him, and he goes out there and competes,” Vincent said. “The kid’s a winner. He’s just trying to help his team win and do whatever he can to help the common good. Happy for Bronny.”
James got his first start of his career during the Lakers’ win against the Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday. He played a total of 10 minutes and contributed one rebound and one assist. It wasn’t James’ most impressive stat line this season, but his impact has often gone beyond the stat sheet.
In the Lakers’ win against the Miami Heat on Nov. 2, head coach JJ Redick praised James for his defensive intensity, especially his on-ball pressure against Davion Mitchell.
James has appeared in a total of nine games this season, at a little over 11 minutes per game. He’s averaged 2.0 points, 1.0 rebounds and 1.8 assists. His shooting percentages leave room to be desired at 26.9 percent from the field and 20 percent from the three-point line. During the Lakers’ win against the Bucks, Redick was seen imploring James to shoot.
But his stats and shooting percentages don’t tell the whole story. When James is in the game, the ball moves and the offense hums. He’s a pass-first, unselfish point guard, who has displayed lockdown defensive ability. And it’s clear he has a place on the team moving forward.
Last season, James spent a good portion of his rookie year in the G League with South Bay. This season, it’s unlikely he is assigned to the G League.
But whether he keeps his spot in the rotation or not, he has a good mentor to learn from in Vincent who is almost like a mirror-image of him in terms of what they’re asked to do on the court.
