Lakers’ Bronny James doesn’t deny possibility of G League move after scoring 8 points in Summer League
Many NBA fans curious to see how Bronny James would fare in his NBA Summer League debut in Las Vegas ended up being treated to the spectacle of another rookie.
James had eight points, four rebounds and two steals in the Los Angeles Lakers’ 99-80 loss to the Houston Rockets. The young guard played 20 minutes, scoring two points in the second half. He shot 3 of 12, including 0 of 6 from 3-point range.
James got off to a good start, though, taking the ball to the basket aggressively. He scored two baskets early on, including the Lakers’ second of the game.
James scored eight points, the most James has scored in his three Summer League games. He scored four points in his Summer League debut against the Sacramento Kings and three against the Miami Heat, both games played in the California Classic. (James missed the Lakers’ second game in California due to knee swelling.)
In his three Summer League games, James is averaging five points per game on 23 percent shooting.
With a slow start to the season, it was inevitable that James would be asked if he was open to a G League assignment to get competitive minutes rather than sitting on the Lakers’ bench. That question was posed Friday, and James didn’t rule out the idea, via ESPN:
“I look forward to every basketball game I play, no matter what level I am,” James said.
James signed a four-year, $7.9 million guaranteed contract with the Lakers before the season began. He was also quoted as saying, “I feel like I’m in a little bit of a down period right now” when explaining his performance.
Reed Sheppard was the rookie who impressed many spectators. The third overall pick in June’s NBA draft led Houston with 23 points, adding four rebounds, five assists and three blocks. He shot 4 of 6 from three-point range and 9 of 17 overall.
Last year’s Summer League MVP Cam Whitmore added 20 points, 10 rebounds, four assists and four steals for the Rockets.
Once again, the Lakers’ most impressive rookie was first-round pick Dalton Knecht. The 17th overall pick from Tennessee scored a game-high 25 points to go with six rebounds and four assists on 5-of-11 shooting from long range.
New Lakers coach JJ Redick joined the ESPN broadcast in the first quarter, reuniting with his former broadcast partners Mark Jones and Doris Burke, and explained that scoring isn’t what the team is looking for from LeBron James’ son.
“I thought in the last game of the Cali Classic he was terrific on defense,” Redick said. “He had eight or nine possessions where, whether it was pressuring the ball or switching positions, he just made defensive plays. That’s something I’ve stressed in all my conversations when I’ve been with the team on the practice field.”
Redick added that the Lakers want James to pressure the ball. While he didn’t compare the rookie to Luguentz Dort and Jrue Holiday, whom Redick watched when he attended the pre-Olympic exhibition between Team USA and Canada on Thursday, he wants James to look up to those types of players.
The Lakers will next face the Boston Celtics in Summer League action, which begins Monday night at 10:30 p.m. ET.
News Source : sports.yahoo.com
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