Bronny James endorses Gabe Vincent upon his return to the lineup

LOS ANGELES – In the NBA, when injuries happen, it usually opens the door to opportunities for other players on the roster. That was the case for Los Angeles Lakers when Bronnie James he found himself in the rotation after an ankle injury Gabe Vincent.

Gabe Vincent suffered the injury during the Lakers’ win against the Sacramento Kings on Oct. 23. He has since been sidelined, but should return to the lineup Tuesday night against the Utah Jazz. It’s not yet clear what Vincent’s return means for Brony James’ spot in the rotation, but after the Lakers’ game Tuesday morning, Vincent talked about the winning mentality he’s seen from the younger James.

“It’s hard to change your role from night to night, you know what I mean? I’m very proud of how he accepts the adversity that’s put in front of him, and he goes out there and competes,” Vincent said. “The guy is a winner. He’s just trying to help his team win and do whatever he can to help the greater good. Happy for Brony.”

James made his first career start during the Lakers’ win against the Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday. He played a total of 10 minutes and gave one rebound and one assist. It wasn’t James’ most impressive stat line this season, but his influence has often surpassed the statistical sheet.

In the Lakers’ win against the Miami Heat on Nov. 2, the head coach JJ Redick praised James for his defensive intensityespecially his pressure on the ball against Davion Mitchell.

James has appeared in a total of nine games this season, averaging just over 11 minutes per game. He averaged 2.0 points, 1.0 rebounds and 1.8 assists. His shooting percentages leave room to be desired at 26.9 percent from the field and 20 percent from the three-point line. During the Lakers’ win against the Bucks, Redick was seen begging James to shoot.

But his stats and shooting percentage don’t tell the whole story. When James is in the game, the ball moves and the offense hums. He is the first dog, an unselfish point guard, who has shown the defensive ability to lock down. And it’s clear that he has a place in the team moving forward.

Last season, James spent a good portion of his rookie year in the G League with the South Bay. This season, he is unlikely to be assigned to the G League.

But whether he keeps his spot in the rotation or not, he has a good mentor to learn from in Vincent who is almost a mirror image of him in terms of what they are asked to do on the field.