Coming into his rookie year, Bronny James had an unprecedented focus on him. Pundits obsessed over his every move and put a light on him that no other No. 55 pick has ever seen.
In Summer League as a player entering his second year, he needed to demonstrate he was beyond this level of competition and he did that. Bronny was a step quicker and stronger than his opponents, and he was the best player on the Lakers.
Now it’s time for him to officially begin his sophomore year.
How is he going to improve in his second year? By taking advantage of every NBA shift he gets. Bronny described this mentality when speaking with ESPN LA on media day.
“I think it’s not taking opportunities for granted. We got guys playing ahead of me and whenever I’m given the opportunity to go out and prove myself, I think that’s where I need to lock in and produce for the team. I think anytime that JJ [Redick] believes in me and puts me in the game, I think I just need to go out there and prove myself even more.”
The Lakers have been talking about a championship mentality during all of training camp. That means, to play on this team, players will have to earn those spots and do the right thing.
For Bronny, that means being a good defensive presence on the perimeter, making your open 3-pointers and doing some on-ball work.
He certainly seems to have the right mentality. Bronny has self-awareness to know that he’s lower on the rotation and he’ll need to take advantage of his opportunities to climb up that ladder and earn those minutes.
The good news for Bronny is that he should have every chance to prove himself early on this year.
The regular season is long, and while backup guards like Gabe Vincent are currently in front of him, there will certainly be nights Bronny gets an extra look, or a player goes down and his role increases.
If he plays well in those spots, he’ll make a case to be one of the first guys off the bench for the Lakers and begin establishing himself as a solid 3-and-D backup.