The Lakers kick off their road trip Saturday evening with a matchup against the Celtics in Boston, but they’ll be without rookie Bronny James for the game. The team has assigned the 19-year-old guard to their G League affiliate ahead of the high-stakes contest. While the Lakers take on their Eastern Conference rivals, Bronny will suit up for the South Bay Lakers as they face the Motor City Cruise.

Since January 15, the Lakers have been the NBA’s hottest team, boasting a remarkable 20-4 record. This impressive run has fueled their current eight-game winning streak, helping them climb to the Western Conference’s No. 2 seed with a 40-21 record. Looking at Bronny’s performances in the NBA versus the G League, it’s clear why the Lakers made this decision.

In seven G League regular-season games, James has averaged an impressive 21.9 points, 5.4 rebounds, 5.0 assists, and 1.9 steals while shooting 43.8% from the field and 39.3% from three-point range. In contrast, his NBA numbers tell a different story. In 18 games, the former USC guard has posted just 1.4 points per game, shooting 25.8% from the field and 20.0% from deep.

This G League assignment gives Bronny valuable playing time that he wouldn’t get at the NBA level, especially as the Lakers continue their remarkable midseason surge. Since mid-January, no team in the league has been hotter, as they’ve evolved from a team hovering around .500 into a legitimate championship contender.

After their clash in Boston, the Lakers will continue their road trip with games against Brooklyn, Milwaukee, and Denver before returning to Crypto.com Arena on March 16 to face the Phoenix Suns. It remains uncertain whether Bronny will rejoin the team during this crucial stretch of games.

As the Lakers look to extend their winning streak against the reigning champions, they will lean on their veteran core, which has been instrumental in their late-season surge. Meanwhile, Bronny gets another valuable opportunity to refine his skills in an environment where he can truly shine.