The Los Angeles Lakers have been on a roll during this stretch of the season, and it's the perfect time with the postseason slowly approaching. They recently got another win as they defeated the Indiana Pacers 137-130, and while Luka Doncic stole the show with his 43 points, it was the contributions from other players that helped as well.
One of those players was Bronny James, who played 13 minutes in the game with Marcus Smart sidelined due to injury. He may have only finished with 4 points, but it's what he did on the other side of the ball that was impactful.
“Felt like this was a game we really needed him,” JJ Redick said via Dan Woike of The Athletic. “It was a game that, you know, his athleticism, his defense…. we saw it last year, and we’re seeing it again this year, just his growth as a player.”
Not only was James able to get impactful minutes, but he did so with his father on the court with him.
“Especially knowing the path, you know, the road …,” LeBron James said. “So, just proud of him. I’m super proud of him. And he belongs. He belongs.”
Bronny has shown over these two seasons that he can come in and be an energy player for the Lakers, and he's done that whenever he steps on the floor. Getting reps in the G League has also helped Bronny through this process, so when he steps on the NBA floor, it doesn't look like he's missed a beat.
“I like to go down there and play my game and be as aggressive as I can, so that when I get these minutes up here, I'm comfortable playing with Luka, Bron, AR, and everyone else,” Bronny said.
With just a few games remaining in the season, it will be interesting to see if Bronny will be able to make an impact moving forward.
