Bronny James bounced back with a solid performance Friday night in the Lakers' preseason finale.
After a disastrous start to his NBA career, James played 35 minutes against the Warriors when Los Angeles rested the starters, scoring 17 points on 7-of-17 shooting, four boards, one steal and one block. I dropped it.
“It feels great to go out there and just play without thinking as much as I do,” James said after the game. “… [It gives me] He might not be in the rotation, he might not be playing, but just by practicing, he might be able to go into a G League game with confidence and play his game. Even if you don't, you can go into the season with a modicum of confidence. I feel that's the biggest part. ”
James looked like perhaps one of the worst players in the NBA through the first five preseason games, scoring just eight points on 20 percent shooting while going 3-for-7 with no hits and five turnovers. It was the result.
On Friday, he did a relatively good job of limiting turnovers, giving away the ball just twice and making his first deep ball from the top of the key.
Lakers head coach JJ Redick, who signed a four-year contract with the team during the offseason and is adjusting to his new role, said he was encouraged by James' play Friday.
“I think every moment is a building block for him and the young players,” Reddick said. “It's not just the good moments. The bad moments are learning opportunities. I think it takes a certain amount of patience and a certain amount of optimism. I'm very confident in the level of work of our young players.
“So, again, I think it was good for him to get 17 points. … I'm not worried about that one bit. It's not even on my radar. It’s like trying to help them develop into great basketball players.”
