Bronny James Explains Why Lakers Sent Him to the G League

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By Justin Grasso

Contributing Sports Writer

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Bronny James’ G League assignment made headlines this week as it was the first trip to the South Bay roster this season for the Los Angeles Lakers’ former second-round pick.

Speaking with reporters this week, James explained the meaning behind the Lakers’ unexpected roster move.

“I’m trying to focus now on bettering myself off the ball,” he told reporters.

“Me and JJ [Redick] talked about all the ball handlers on the parent team, so I have to learn how to be effective off the ball. Have a point-five mentality.” James added that South Bay could use an on-ball guard presence, so he fit the bill. But the primary reason for getting a G League stint is getting better at simply shooting better when taking open shots.

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In 31 minutes of action, James put up 10 shots from the field and attempted three free throws. He knocked down 50 percent of his shots from the field and went 2-3 from the charity stripe. With 5.0 attempts from beyond the arc, James hit on 40 percent of his shots. He scored 15 points, while coming down with four rebounds, dishing out eight assists, and picking up three steals.

It wasn’t Bronny’s first go-round in the developmental league. Last year, he had seven appearances with South Bay during the Tip-Off Tourney stretch and appeared in 11 regular-season games. During the regular season, he produced 21.9 points per game, while hitting on 44 percent of his shots from the field. He also came down with 5.2 rebounds per game and dished out 5.4 assists per game.

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So far this season, Bronny has appeared in 10 games for the Lakers. He racked up an average of 11.1 minutes per game. Taking just 2.7 shots per game, he is averaging only 2.1 points on 29 percent shooting. It’s certainly not rare for a second-rounder like Bronny to spend time in the G League, working on specific improvements this early on.

It’s unclear how long James will stick with the Lakers’ G League team, but he isn’t expected to be with the LA Lakers when they return to the court on Sunday night. That opens the door for a potential return to action on Tuesday, November 25, when the Lakers return home to host the Los Angeles Clippers.

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