Los Angeles Lakers Assistant Coach Reveals Where Bronny James Is Improving Most

Los Angeles Lakers guard Bronny James had a strong summer league performance that turned the heads of many across the NBA. Lakers assistant coach Nate McMillan revealed where he sees the former USC Trojans guard improving the most.

Nov 24, 2023; La Jolla, California, USA; USC Trojans guard Bronny James (6) warms up before the game against the Oklahoma Sooners at LionTree Arena. Mandatory Credit: Orlando Ramirez-Imagn Images | Orlando Ramirez-Imagn Images

Los Angeles Lakers guard Bronny James showed his development in the NBA through the summer league. The former USC Trojans guard is working towards earning more minutes in the league, and his coaches are taking notice.

James was selected in the second round of the 2024 NBA Draft by the Lakers. He split his time in the G League with the South Bay Lakers and in the NBA. After a season of ups and downs while being scrutinized in the media, the former Trojans guard is looking to take a step forward in year two.

Lakers Coach Praises James’ Development

Nov 26, 2024; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Los Angeles Lakers assistant coach Nate McMillan against the Phoenix Suns during an NBA Cup game at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Lakers assistant coach Nate McMillan appeared on “The Sports Shop with Reese and K-Mac” and discussed James’ development. McMillan explained how much of a difference there already is with the former USC guard based on his summer league performance, and where he can continue to grow.

“He came out into this summer league and played every game this summer,” McMillan said. “You could see the confidence. He was much more relaxed than he was last year, and everybody would have been nervous as could be last season.”

Confidence has been one of the biggest improvements for James since his rookie season ended. With a better mindset, James is performing better on the court, which was seen through his improved shooting.

“His shot was never broken, but the confidence, you could see he was knocking down those shots, getting to the basket. Defensively, we wanted to challenge himself to pick up the ball,” McMillan continued.

James’ Offseason Improvement

Mar 19, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Bronny James (9) inbound the ball in the second half against the Denver Nuggets at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Something that James missed throughout his rookie season was consistent playing time. With the G League, James did earn that, starting in all 11 games he played in. With the consistency, he had a better performance, averaging 21.9 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 5.4 assists.

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In the NBA, James played in 12 games, but only five involved him playing over 10 minutes, and he had one start. He finished his rookie season with the Lakers, averaging 6.7 minutes, 2.3 points, 0.7 rebounds, and 0.8 assists.

Dec 25, 2024; San Francisco, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Bronny James (9) before the game against the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

In the Las Vegas summer league, James was one of the top second-year players. Between his confidence and the work he is putting in, the former Trojans are showing the league that the best is yet to come. In the summer league, James averaged 14.3 points and 3.8 assists. 

Apr 6, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick gestures to his team during a play against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the second quarter at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images | Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

What James Must Work On Ahead Of Year Two

With his confidence growing, James is already showing improvement ahead of the season, but another area he can continue working on is his conditioning. This is one of James' goals, and Lakers coach JJ Redick emphasized the importance of his conditioning.

“The biggest thing for Bronny is that he has to get in elite shape,” Redick told ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. “That’s the barrier of entry for him right now. And if he does that, I think he’s got a chance to be a really fantastic player in the NBA.”

Ahead of his first season with the USC Trojans, James suffered sudden cardiac arrest. One of the lingering effects from that has been that he gets sick more easily, and it has been harder for him to improve his conditioning. The Lakers guard is working on improving that and controlling it as much as he can.

James’ coaches see his development, and as long as he can keep it up, the former Trojans guard could see more minutes in the NBA as he continues to develop as a player.