Bronny James scored the Los Angeles Lakers’ first three points Monday night in Las Vegas against the Los Angeles Clippers. Actually, he scored 10 of the Lakers’ first 18 points in the Summer League matchup.
Following James’ game-opening 3, he carried on with his best performance of the month. During a 67-58 Clippers win that often looked more like a college basketball rock fight than an NBA Summer League game, James achieved respectable offensive efficiency.
The 2024 second-round draft pick shot 6 of 10 from the field, including 3 of 5 from deep, and finished with a team-high 17 points, plus five rebounds and five assists.
Granted James committed three turnovers, but the 6-foot-2 guard also tied center Christian Koloko for the best plus/minus (+5) of any Lakers player Monday night.
While James is again one of the most-watched Lakers Summer League players, the 20-year-old son of one of the sport’s all-time greats is not his team’s top performer. Cole Swider, 26, has turned heads with impressive shotmaking the past couple weeks. Darius Bazley, 25, has showcased wide-ranging defensive versatility that makes the former first-round pick a role player candidate this season, too.
As for James, he still has a ways to go in his development.
That said, he’s definitely improved. He’s shown significantly more poise and confidence in this year’s Summer League than he did last time around.
James has averaged 15.5 points, 4 assists, 3 rebounds and 3.5 turnovers over his most recent two games. In his three games since arriving in Vegas, James has posted 13 points, 3.3 assists, 2.7 rebounds and 2.7 turnovers per contest while shooting 44.8% from the field and 31.3% from 3.
For reference, James recorded a mere 32.7% field-goal percentage in Summer League play as a rookie. He shot 17 of 52, including a ghastly 3 of 23 from beyond the arc.
The Lakers have trusted James to handle the ball more in this year’s Summer League, and he’s enjoyed some success orchestrating pick-and-roll offense.
To earn a role in the NBA, he’s still likely going to have to become a serviceable 3-and-D player. Right now, James’ defense is ahead of his 3-point shooting.
Despite his height, he’s equipped with a 6-foot-7 wing span and a 215-pound frame that allow him to stand his ground against bigger players, as evidenced by him holding his own against this year’s top draft pick, Cooper Flagg, on Thursday.
That game was highly anticipated, given Flagg was making his Summer League debut after becoming the NBA’s youngest No. 1 overall pick since LeBron James in 2003. The younger James kicked off the matchup with five straight points, both from buckets over Flagg.
James cooled down after that.
His two Summer League appearances in the “California Classic” came with ups and downs as well.
After showing off his athleticism with a high-flying dunk and scoring 10 first-half points in 11 minutes against the Miami Heat on July 6, James struggled two days later in 15 minutes of action against the San Antonio Spurs. That time out, he logged 2 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist and 3 turnovers while shooting only 1 of 5 from the field.
James is another year older, and he’s got 27 NBA games and a good dose of the G League under his belt. His improvement in the Summer League is encouraging, but the stakes are also higher in his second year with the franchise, especially with LeBron’s Lakers window apparently closing.
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