While this was the Lakers’ third Summer League game, James only played in the first, a 108-94 loss to the Sacramento Kings, since he was ruled out of their second game against the Golden State Warriors the following night. Bronny struggled against the Kings (4 PTS, 2 REB, 2 AST, 2-9 FGM), so everyone was curious about how he’d do versus Miami.
James didn’t score much against the Heat, but he still made an impact in a variety of ways (3 PTS, 5 REB, 3 AST, 1-3 FGM). Bronny shown his desire to assault the glass and move the ball on offense, and perhaps most significantly, he was not forcing shots up like he had done in his first Summer League game against the Kings.
More importantly, James was a force on the defensive end of the court in this game. He snagged a pair of steals and blocked three attempts on that side of the ball, which is very promising to watch from the gifted prospect. When your shot isn’t falling on offense, you have to find other ways to stay involved in the game, and Bronny did just that in this game.
The rookie guard still has a lot of opportunity to improve. He hasn’t looked very comfortable scoring, but it was encouraging to see him be more careful with his attempts following a rough effort against the Kings. Bronny will not be a 20-point scorer right immediately, but he does not need to be. Allowing the shots to come to him, rather than actively searching them out, is the best approach for him to contribute to the Lakers’ offense right now.
However, James demonstrated why the sky is the limit for him if he can figure out how to score the ball regularly. He’s a willing defender who can contribute in a variety of areas of the game, so if he can work out his shot, Bronny has the potential to be a strong three-and-d player when he reaches his full potential.
Some fans will read the three points and believe it was another difficult game for James, but it was actually quite the contrary. This is a performance he can build on in the future, and it will be intriguing to watch how he does in Los Angeles’ second Summer League game against the Houston Rockets on Friday night.
