Lakers’ summer league coach praises Bronny James for his performance
Los Angeles Lakers rookie Bronny James concluded his NBA summer league stint with his two best performances to date. The second-round pick showcased notable improvement, scoring double-digit points in back-to-back games as the Lakers secured victories against the Atlanta Hawks and Cleveland Cavaliers.
In these wins, Bronny achieved career-highs with 12 points against the Hawks and 13 points versus the Cavaliers, a significant step up from his earlier summer league games where he averaged 4.3 points per game.
His shooting accuracy also saw improvement. Bronny shot 5-11 from the field and 2-5 from three-point range against the Hawks, and 5-10 from the field and 1-3 from beyond the arc against the Cavaliers, compared to his earlier shooting struggles where he connected on only 22.6% of his shots overall. He also made both of his free throw attempts.
“Lakers summer league coach Dane Johnson noted, “He had two pretty good games in the last two. I think it’s just going to boost his confidence going into the offseason so we can focus on different aspects of his game. He’s gaining confidence and understanding that he belongs at this level. It’s still going to require a lot of time and repetitions.”
Bronny, along with fellow rookie Dalton Knecht, did not participate in the Lakers’ final summer league game against the Chicago Bulls on Saturday. Nonetheless, Bronny wrapped up his summer league debut on a positive note, especially after facing criticism earlier in the series for inconsistent performances similar to those seen at USC.
As the 55th overall pick, Bronny is expected to continue his development this season in the G-League with the South Bay Lakers.
