NBA insider predicts Bronny James to spend considerable time in G League following subpar summer league performance
The LA Lakers' 55th overall pick, Bronny James, will enter his rookie season in a unique position. Due to his relationship and proximity to LeBron James, he will receive the type of scrutiny that follows someone drafted in the lottery. However, he isn't expected to play much on the main roster.
According to ESPN's Dave McMenamin, James will likely spend most of his time with the Lakers' G League affiliate, the South Bay Lakers. He will get the opportunity to develop his skills while occasionally suiting up for the main team.
According to McMenamin, a huge reason he will spend most of his time working on his game in the G-League is his underwhelming performances in the summer league in July.
As a member of the South Bay Lakers, Bronny James will work closely with the team's newest head coach, Zach Guthrie. According to Basketball Reference, Guthrie has worked as an assistant coach in the NBA since 2016 and has had stints with the Utah Jazz, Dallas Mavericks and Washington Wizards.
The decision to make Bronny play in the G-league likely stems from the Lakers backcourt rotation in the main roster. They already have D'Angelo Russell, Austin Reaves, Max Christie and Jalen Hood-Schifino filling their backcourt rotation.
Looking at Bronny James' summer league performance
Bronny James got his first taste of NBA action post-draft by participating in the annual summer league. He played in four of the five LA Lakers games where he posted subpar numbers.
James' first summer league game took place on Jul. 12 against the Houston Rockets. He scored eight points, making only three of his fourteen field goals and missing all eight of his three-point attempts. He was outshined by fellow rookie Dalton Knecht, who scored 25.
Following that game, the Lakers faced the Boston Celtics. He saw almost 26 minutes of action and scored two points on a 1-for-5 shooting clip.
In their next game, which was against the Atlanta Hawks, James scored in double-figures for the first time. He registered 12 points and made his first two threes despite having attempted several in the first two games.
His last game in the NBA Summer League was against the Cleveland Cavaliers, where he scored 13 points and made another three-pointer.
Bronny James didn't play the final summer league game against the Chicago Bulls. He averaged 8.8 points on 35.0% shooting from the field and 15.8% from beyond the arc.