The South Bay Lakers took the court against the Valley Suns for the second consecutive night and once again, they fell on the road. The final score was 102-91 as South Bay dropped its second game in a row.
However, in the game, rookie guard Bronny James made another road appearance. Just a night after James dropped 30 points, he came back to put together another strong outing.
The rookie guard finished the game by scoring 16 points, grabbing two rebounds, dishing out two assists, and getting one steal. This marked James’s third solid game after a very poor start to his G League career.
While South Bay didn’t get the win, James showed consistency for the first time in his young professional career. Originally, the Lakers had decided that James would only play home games while in the G League.
But earlier this week, the team seemed to shift its thinking in terms of allowing the rookie to get onto the court. The decision has seemed to pay off and James looks like he belongs among the rest of the players in the G League.
Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images
James has been shifting between the G League and the NBA as the Lakers work through their development program. Los Angeles has wanted to give the rookie a chance to show growth in his overall game while also allowing him to experience what being in the NBA is like.
The Lakers view James as a long-term project player and they are high on his upside. The organization has maintained the belief that he can become an impactful player at the NBA level down the line.
Despite all the criticism and narratives that have come his way, James has maintained a strong level of composure throughout. The rookie has just put his head down and continued to work on his game, one day at a time.
“I think it’s good,” James said. “Just game by game, just trying to learn everything that I can. Always just staying aggressive and playing my game. Playing for my teammates and the coaches. It’s been good.”
If James can continue these strong outings in the G League, he could work his way to getting minutes with the NBA team. James is a little ways away from being full-time with the Lakers but it’s a great sign that he has been able to show progress as the year has gone on.
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