Why Bronny James got sent down to G League by the Lakers to play for South Bay

Billy Heyen

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Why Bronny James got sent down to G League by the Lakers to play for South Bay image

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Bronny James continues to take small steps toward a long-lasting NBA career.

But on Thursday, at least on the surface, it appears the Los Angeles Lakers' second-year guard and the son of LeBron James has taken a bit of a step back.

The Lakers assigned Bronny and rookie Adou Thiero to the G League's South Bay Lakers, ESPN insider Dave McMenamin reported.

Bronny is coming off a start on Nov. 15 when the Lakers were a bit shorthanded.

But now not long after his father's return to the court, Bronny is going to the minor league.

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Why did the Lakers send Bronny James down to the G League?

In the end, this move is all about development.

Bronny played more earlier this season when the likes of LeBron, Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves were each missing various time with injuries.

But when the Lakers' rotation is at full strength, there's no room for Bronny.

He's played in 10 games overall this season, averaging 2.1 points and 1.8 assists per contest while shooting 29.6% from the floor.

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If there's one area where Bronny is NBA ready, it's defensively, but he leaves a lot still to be desired on the offensive end.

Bronny got plenty of run in the G League last season and looked comfortable playing a leading role at that level. The Lakers have likely sent him down with specific aspects of his game to be focused on.

LeBron's son will surely be back before long. He's a useful back-of-rotation player when certain Lakers have to miss time.

But in the meantime, L.A. Has decided it does Bronny a lot more good to get big minutes in the G League than lots of bench time in the big leagues.

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Contributing Writer