Bronny James' Defense Hyped and Full Highlights from Lakers' G League Game

Bronny James returned to G League action on Monday night, scoring 16 points in the South Bay Lakers' 105-101 loss to the Oklahoma City Blue.

This marked James' first time back with South Bay since Jan. 24. He appeared in each of the last three games for the Los Angeles Lakers, including making his Madison Square Garden debut late in Saturday's win over the New York Knicks.

One area where James did shine was on defense. He had three steals and one block, with the latter being a chase-down block that has been a staple of his father's career.

Despite his defensive highlights in the game, James was unhappy overall with his performance on that end of the floor. The Lakers led by as many as 24 points in the first half and had a 10-point advantage late in the third quarter.

James had an inefficient scoring night against the Blue. He finished 5-of-17 shooting, his worst field-goal percentage (29.4) in a G League game since going 2-of-10 against the Stockton Kings on Nov. 17.

James' 16 points were the second-most for South Bay on Monday night. Quincy Olivari led the way with 23 points in 34 minutes.

This is James' fourth consecutive G League game scoring in double-figures. His three steals were his most in a game since Dec. 27 against the Cleveland Charge.

Defense was always James' calling card leading up to the 2024 NBA draft. He is still learning to hone his ability on that end of the court as a 20-year-old rookie, but the flashes of potential he's showing already is very encouraging going forward.

James should see a lot more consistent game action going forward. South Bay will being a stretch of six consecutive games in California starting on Friday. The L.A. Lakers will also have a stretch of four straight games in the City of Angels starting Tuesday when they play the Los Angeles Clippers at the Intuit Dome.

The best way for James to get better is to get regular playing time. It hasn't happened so far this season because of the unique arrangement the Lakers have set up for him, but this upcoming stretch will be big for his development.