The South Bay Lakers secured their franchise-record 11th straight win on March 14, led by strong performances from rookie players and support from the Los Angeles Lakers’ coaching staff. The victory came against the Iowa Wolves, with Nick Smith Jr. scoring 22 points and Adou Thiero adding 20. Kobe Bufkin contributed 16 points while Bronny James finished with 13.
The achievement highlights a shift in the Lakers’ approach to player development under head coach JJ Redick. Historically, the organization was not known for developing young talent, but changes in league rules have made it necessary for teams to utilize players on rookie contracts more effectively. Redick has emphasized the importance of the South Bay Lakers as part of this strategy.
“We’re all one team,” JJ Redick said. “We talk about that all the time. I think Zach (Guthrie) has done a fantastic job of coaching our players. The G League is in place for development. It was literally called the Development League. It used to be called the D League, which a lot of people forget… So it’s just been an incredible opportunity for our guys to develop. I thought Bronny had just a fantastic year last year, Adou has done some really good things down there, it’s given our two-way guys a chance to get runs when they’re not with us. You look at the roster they have when we have some of our rostered guys down there with all three of our two-ways, it’s a really good team, and Zach has really coached not only the team well, but he’s really coached our guys well and they’ve really bought in.”
The perception of playing in the G League has changed over time; what was once seen as a demotion is now viewed as an important step for player growth and career advancement. This shift is partly due to high-profile prospects coming through programs like G League Ignite and more two-way players earning guaranteed NBA contracts.
Looking ahead, Redick hopes that players such as Thiero and James will use their experience in South Bay as building blocks for successful NBA careers and help change how the organization is viewed regarding rookie development.
Redick also recently commended LeBron James for his willingness to adapt his role upon returning from injury, saying that James deferred to teammates Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves during games so as not to disrupt their play.