Over his rookie season with the Los Angeles Lakers, guard Bronny James notably showed improvement as a shooter, particularly during his time in the G League.

After averaging just 4.8 points per game in his lone season at USC, James averaged 21.9 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 5.4 assists in the G League. These numbers were also a significant increase from his performance during the G League Tipoff Tournament, which saw him average 13.4 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game. By the end of his rookie season in the G League, James put up an impressive career-high of 39 points in a win over the Santa Cruz Warriors.

Though James took significant strides offensively last season, he still is primarily focused on his efforts on the defensive side of the ball, which he sees as key for him being able to earn time on the court.

"It's definitely made me think about being more aggressive on that end of the floor, but I can't lose that defensive drive that will get me on the floor because there's gonna be guys that can score 15, 20 a game," James told reporters Thursday. "I'm most likely not going to be that guy right now. To get myself on the floor, I've got to be a defensive menace. That's my main focus, getting conditioned this year. It's been shown that I know how to score the ball a little bit, I'm staying true to that, but also focusing on the defensive end."

Though James saw extensive time in the G League, he appeared in just 27 games for the Lakers as a rookie, averaging 6.7 minutes of action in each game he played. He will get to keep improving on his consistency as a scorer as the NBA summer league gets underway this weekend, but at this point, his defense will likely give him more opportunities on the court.

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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Bronny James Gives Honest Assessment of Role With Lakers After Rookie Year .

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