The Los Angeles Lakers seem to have decent depth in their backcourt going into the new NBA season. Austin Reaves is firmly entrenched as their starting point guard, and many expect newcomer Quentin Grimes to be slotted as the team's starting off-guard.
Off the bench, Collin Sexton will be a key contributor and possibly the Lakers' sixth man. Jaden Hardy could see minutes as a 3-point specialist, 3-and-D wing Matisse Thybulle could see minutes at the 2 and rookie Cameron Carr is also expected to get some slivers of playing time.
That all leaves a limited opportunity for Bronny James to break into coach JJ Redick's rotation. As he heads into his third NBA season, James joined ESPN L.A. 710 and talked about what he's focusing on for the upcoming
campaign, especially on the offensive end.
“All across the board, I’m trying to get better,” James said. “I’m playing with Luka [Doncic] and AR (Reaves) still, so I’m gonna be off-ball. When it’s needed, I’m going to be able to need to knock down shots and create for others, and I think I’ve been doing a good job of that this summer.”
James' biggest strength coming into both the University of Southern California and the pros was thought to be his defense. He showed improvement with his 3-point shooting last season, going from a 28.1% accuracy from that distance as a rookie to 38.6%, but for him to truly become an NBA rotation player, he will have to produce more offensively.
“I feel like I can be a secondary ball-handler to Luka and AR, and generate whatever offense, catch-and-shoots, pick and roll offense and stuff like that. I pride myself on being an all-around player, whatever is needed I’m up for it.”
Last season, he averaged 2.9 points and 1.2 assists in 8.9 minutes a game. After both Doncic and Reaves got injured on April 2, James got more minutes in the final games of the regular season and responded by creeping into double figures in scoring three times in the last six games of the schedule.
With his father, LeBron, now a member of the Philadelphia 76ers, it's time for him to spread his wings and be more aggressive on both ends of the floor, especially considering that he could essentially be entering a contract year. He has a team option for the 2027-28 season, which is the final year of his current contract.
This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Bronny James on what he's focusing on for this season
