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The South Bay Lakers took on the Greensboro Swarm to open the Winter G League Showcase on Thursday. South Bay took the loss by a score of 98-90 but once again, rookie guard Bronny James showed out.
James finished the game by scoring 16 points, grabbing four rebounds, dishing out five assists, and swiping three steals. The rookie also committed six turnovers but otherwise, looked pretty solid.
James shot 5-of-15 from the field in the game, including making 2-of-5 shots from beyond the 3-point line. His increased performance from beyond the arch in recent games has seen James take a step forward overall.
This marked another strong outing from James, who has seen this become a regular thing in recent matchups. After a poor start to his professional basketball career, James has bounced back and is looking impressive in the G League.
James has been shuffling back and forth between the NBA and the G League. The Lakers have been trying to put a plan together for his overall development and the team believes that this is the best course of action.
Just recently, Los Angeles allowed James to start playing in road games in the G League, reversing a previous policy. Originally, James was only playing in home games, a move that received much controversy due to him not getting enough reps.
But while James still has a ways to go before he will be full-time in the NBA, his improvement in the G League should be noted. His ability to take the criticism that has come his way has been impressive and he has simply kept his head down to play basketball.
Photo by Derick E. Hingle/Getty Images
James recently reflected on his improvement in the G League and how he has been trying to learn as much as he can. The rookie has relied on his support system to get him through and it’s been working so far.
“I think it’s good,” James said. “Just game by game, just trying to learn everything that I can. Always just staying aggressive and playing my game. Playing for my teammates and the coaches. It’s been good.”
If James continues to thrive at the G League level, he could see some extra minutes in the NBA as well. Los Angeles has allowed him the space to hone in his game and it seems that James has seized the opportunity in front of him.
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