Bronny James Impresses in Final Two Summer League Games

Bronny James posted a combined 25 points in 48 minutes in his final two Summer League games in Las Vegas.

Jul 15, 2024; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Bronny James (9) competes against the Boston Celtics during the second half at Thomas & Mack Center. Mandatory Credit: Lucas Peltier-USA TODAY Sports / Lucas Peltier-USA TODAY Sports

Bronny James, the well-known 55th overall pick to the Los Angeles Lakers, has been one of the biggest talking points of the summer with the team-up with his father, Lebron James. With that in mind, it was obvious that he'd have a sharper lens on him in Summer League than most second-round picks typically would.

Although he struggled in his first two games at Las Vegas, posting 10 points and one assist on 4-of-19 shooting, he showed huge signs of life in his final two games, posting 25 points and three assists and 10-of-21 shooting, including 3-of-8 from three. After these two impressive games, the Lakers decided to shut him down for their final Summer League game against the Chicago Bulls and instead focus on what he needs to work on heading into the summer offseason.

"He had two pretty good games in the last two... I think it's just going to help him going into the summer so we can work on different things with him," Lakers summer league coach Dane Johnson said.

In these final two games, James showcased what made him a legitimately intriguing prospect in his time at Sierra Canyon. During his time there in his senior year, he was considered a potential future first-round pick due to his dribble, pass, and shoot skillset combined with excellent point-of-attack defense.

He was an excellent shooter who could attack closeouts and make decisions, along with being a great perimeter defender, which gave him promise as a two-way connective player. He also had promise as an ancillary pick-and-roll operator with his smooth midrange pull-up and passing ability. Despite size concerns with him standing at just 6-foot-2, he possesses a 6-foot-7 wingspan and a 40.5-inch vertical leap.

He showed all this in his final two Summer League games against the Atlanta Hawks and Cleveland Cavaliers. As a point guard, he ran pick-and-rolls where he nailed several pullup two-pointers, showing off his touch. On one possession, he flowed into a dribble handoff (essentially a moving version of a pick-and-roll) where he attacked downhill and finished with a left-handed scoop layup, further displaying his touch.

Off the ball, he shot threes at a 37.5% clip and attacked closeouts where he finished with layups and a floater. He was an active mover as well, where he cut and finished at the rim.

On defense, he blocked two shots and racked up a steal.

One area he has to remedy before seeing extended NBA minutes is his physicality, specifically on drives. James often avoided contact when attacking the basket, in both cases of bumping his defender on drives and finishing into the body of rim protectors. This led to layup attempts fading away from the basket which made his rim attempts harder. Putting on muscle and increasing physicality would lead to quick improvements for James as a finisher.

James' developmental timeline was pushed back due to a very unfortunate cardiac arrest happening prior to his season at USC. Despite this, he remains a good prospect with NBA-level skills and tools, with length and athleticism to complement excellent touch and processing skills. As a second-round pick, he isn't expected to be an NBA-level player for a while. With time in the G League and a focus on honing his skillset as a role player, James has a bright future as a rotation-level NBA player, which would be a great outcome for himself and the Lakers.

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