Season Summary
The NBA may not have seen much of Thomas Bryant during his rookie season, but the G League sure got familiar with the Lakers’ 42nd-overall draft pick.
Bryant dominated for the South Bay Lakers, bulldozing his way to a spot on the All-G League First Team, while finishing as runner-up for G League Rookie of the Year.
The 6-foot-10 big man was equal parts hammer and bow for South Bay’s offense.
Arguably the top pick-and-roll threat in the G League, he was never shy at diving to the rim and throwing down alley-oops, as his 74.3 percent clip on two-pointers was best in the league.
Defenses also had to worry about his knack for popping out to 3-point range, as he shot a healthy 36.4 percent from beyond the arc and hit 1.8 triples per game.
By the Numbers
15: Games played in the NBA. Bryant didn’t make his L.A. debut till Dec. 23.
38.1: Field goal percentage shot in the NBA. The stretch center uncharacteristically shot just 1-of-10 from 3-point range.
129.0: Offensive rating in the G League, which ranked second overall.
What’s Next
Bryant has acknowledged that he is in the infant stages of his NBA development and has a long way to go.
Bryant will need to increase his physicality to keep up with the behemoths that play center in the NBA.
On a more longterm note, he has expressed a desire to also play some power forward in the future.
That will require some more mobility on the defensive end. Bryant spent much of the G League season learning how to survive when switched onto guards.
While he showed plenty of potential as a rim protector, he will have to continue his development when it comes to corralling speedy ball handlers.
Shot Chart