Bronny James and JJ Redick
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Lakers' Bronny James and JJ Redick during a game against the Golden State Warriors in October 2024
The Los Angeles Lakers were severely short-handed in Tuesday night’s 136–108 blowout loss to the San Antonio Spurs.
Luka Doncic, LeBron James, and Austin Reaves were all ruled out due to injury, along with key rotation pieces Deandre Ayton and Marcus Smart.
Victor Wembanyama capitalized on the depleted lineup, erupting for a season-high-tying 40 points in just 26 minutes, including 37 in the first half alone.
For Los Angeles, however, the absences created an opportunity for players on the fringes of the roster to log extended minutes.
Lakers Get Encouraging Signs From Bronny James
Two-way big man Drew Timme finished with a team-high 14 points, matching Luke Kennard’s total. Fellow two-way signees Nick Smith Jr. and Chris Manon also saw time on the floor.
Rookie Adou Thiero returned from injury, while Bronny James delivered one of the most productive outings of his young career.
James recorded a season-high 12 points on 5-of-10 shooting, knocking down both of his three-point attempts. He added three rebounds, six assists, and a block across 25 minutes.
A few sequences stood out. Early in the second quarter, James found himself isolated against Wembanyama. Despite the size mismatch, he held his ground and drew an offensive foul.
His highlight moment came in the fourth quarter. James blocked Kelly Olynyk, secured the ball, pushed the break himself, and finished the possession by drilling a three-pointer.
Still, despite the well-rounded performance, head coach JJ Redick appeared to temper expectations in his postgame remarks.
“Well, I think the takeaway, you know, in terms of the physicality that we wanted on defense, he had two really good possessions in the first half against Wemby,” he told reporters.
Redick kept his response brief and did not expand further before concluding the press conference.
James Emphasizes Defensive Identity
Speaking to reporters after the game, James shifted the focus to his defensive responsibilities rather than his scoring.
“I’d say defensively, that’s my role that I want to excel at,” he said. “We have a lot of guys, Luka, LeBron, AR. Those guys can go get buckets whenever we need them. But they need guys like myself, Vando, Jake, guys who can defend.”
Through 28 games this season, James is averaging 2.3 points and 1.3 assists while shooting 40.7 percent in 7.5 minutes per game.
He has hovered on the edge of the rotation for much of the campaign and did not see the floor against the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday or in Saturday’s win over the Golden State Warriors.
Prior to the Spurs matchup, James was assigned to the Lakers’ G League affiliate, the South Bay Lakers, for practice, according to Lakers reporter Trevor Lane.
He has appeared in nine G League games this season, averaging 12.0 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 4.8 assists, on 45.1% shooting from the field, 29.2% from deep.
James is expected to continue splitting time between the NBA roster and South Bay as the Lakers look to build his confidence and rhythm.
If nothing else, Tuesday’s performance against San Antonio offered a timely reminder of his upside as he works to carve out a consistent role in the Lakers’ rotation.