Bronny James had maybe his worst second at Summer time League with roughly 4 minutes remaining within the fourth quarter of Thursday’s win over the Cleveland Cavaliers. With the Los Angeles Lakers down 4, James caught a cross from behind the arc and moved earlier than pondering. Somewhat than attempt the wide-open triple, he went into assault mode. Sadly, he was known as for a journey within the course of.
Such hesitance wasn’t solely unpredictable. James has struggled mightily from deep in Las Vegas. His 3-point taking pictures was in challenge in school and highschool as nicely, and it’ll probably be the first space by which he wants to enhance if he’s going to grow to be a productive NBA participant. Most rookies going through as a lot strain as he’s most likely would have most popular to attempt their luck on a drive as nicely.
Rookies make errors. It occurs. What issues is how they reply to them. And James, roughly one minute later, responded brilliantly. Dealing with the ball on the perimeter, Colin Castleton got here to set a display screen for him. Jaylon Tyson tried to go beneath that display screen, the proper choice when going through a ball-handler with a weak jumper. That left James large open, however that benefit would solely matter if he may punish Tyson for leaving him alone. He did so, stepping again right into a clear 3-pointer that reduce the Cleveland result in two and gave him his greatest shot of Summer time League to this point.
We need not get carried away right here. This single shot is not going to be some form of turning level in James’ profession. It is nonetheless going to be an uphill battle for him to develop right into a contributing NBA participant given his measurement and the restrictions we have seen to this point. However it’s one thing, a sliver of progress in what began out as a nightmarish Summer time League. James missed his first 14 3-pointers for the Lakers. He seemed overmatched bodily when attempting to defend larger perimeter gamers. He heard a whole information cycle centered round Jaylen Brown questioning his deserves as an NBA participant. Most Summer time League gamers aren’t coping with all of this stuff.
And but James has now performed two fairly profitable video games in a row. He is scored 25 mixed factors towards the Hawks and Cavaliers on 10-of-21 taking pictures, including 5 rebounds, three assists and two blocks on Thursday. He seemed like he belonged down the stretch of an in depth sport. It is going to be a very long time earlier than that occurs towards NBA-caliber competitors, if it ever does, however, hey, it is a begin.
James might be going to spend nearly all of his rookie season within the G-League. He may want a number of years of seasoning there earlier than he is prepared for a full-time NBA function. However it’s price noting that the majority No. 55 general picks high out as G-Leaguers anyway. James could be higher or he won’t be. However proper now, he is kind of the place a prospect of his ilk needs to be. He is not stealing the present in Vegas, however he is not embarrassing himself both. He is simply taking part in regular, all-around basketball and slowly rising extra comfy in knowledgeable setting. After the beginning he had in Summer time League, that is greater than sufficient for him and for the Lakers.
