Bronny James shows his improvement for the shorthanded Lakers

The play brought the entire Lakers bench to their feet. Austin Reaves’ sky-high lob and Bronny James’ two-handed dunk elicited a roar from the crowd.

The dunk against Miami was James’ first point of the season, but he saw it as just two more in what he hopes will be a long journey in the NBA.

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“It was just a normal moment for me,” James said, not even having to hide a smile after the Lakers’ shootout Saturday, nearly a week after the highlight. “… I want to continue to do that, but I just have to continue to give it my all, continue to play hard, run in transition and get stops defensively for my team.”

James is looking to contribute both big and small with regularity for the Lakers, who continue to dig into their bench.

Reaves will miss his third straight game Saturday as the Lakers begin a five-game road trip against the Atlanta Hawks. Imaging revealed a mild strain in Reaves’ right groin, coach JJ Redick said Saturday, but the guard’s pain is “really low” and the team continues to hold him out as a precaution. Reaves is with the team on the road — and has a golf outing scheduled with James and Redick for an upcoming day off — and could return during the trip.

James has played in each of the last three games with Reaves out, including 18 and 19 minutes in wins over Miami and Portland, respectively. He had confidence in fourth-quarter pressure situations in both wins and finished with three steals against the Heat. He dished out six assists with no turnovers the following night against the Trail Blazers, also scoring five points as the Lakers won without Reaves, LeBron James or Luka Doncic.

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“Ready to take advantage of the times I get when our guys are out,” James said. “I will stay aggressive.”

Each appearance is a step forward as the 21-year-old fights to become a regular rotation player. To get there, Redick said the former USC guard needs to start by pushing himself physically, being a disruptive defender and developing as a confident shooter.

James said his main goal is to “go out until I’m dead tired.” He earned Redick’s approval for playing hard.

When James first joined the Lakers last year as a second-round pick, Redick recalled the rookie receiving a pass during pickup games, taking a break, dribbling or attempting unnecessary moves. It was “the opposite of the five-point mentality,” Redick said, referring to the idea that players had to decide to shoot, dribble or pass within 0.5 seconds of receiving the ball.

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“Now he’s developed and has a great five-point mentality,” Redick said before the Lakers played at Portland on Nov. 3. “He’s always ready to catch and shoot.”

James hit a game-winning 3-pointer in the fourth quarter against Portland to give the Lakers a five-point lead. He credited his time with the South Bay Lakers and working with player development coach Ty Abbott for helping him become comfortable with split-second decisions.

With fellow point guard Nick Smith Jr. on a two-way contract, Smith will likely handle more on-ball responsibilities during G League assignments this season, Redick said, giving James a chance to develop his off-ball game.

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That’s only if James, who is on a standard contract, ever goes to the South Bay. The injury-hit Lakers might need him on the bench more.

Guard Gabe Vincent missed seven games with a sprained ankle, but is making progress during on-court work with assistant coach Lindsey Harding. Vincent did not work through contact or one-on-one exercises; he was expected to be out two to four weeks, but Redick estimated he’ll be out nearly three, which could put him on track to return after a five-game trip to Milwaukee on Nov. 15.

LeBron James will be re-evaluated within a week or two after transitioning to contact work, starting with one-on-one work with coaches. The 40-year-old did not join the traveling team for the start of the trip that will wind through Charlotte, Oklahoma City, New Orleans and Milwaukee.

South Bay Listing List

The Lakers’ G League team set its roster Saturday for opening night, with two-way players Smith, who scored 25 points in the win over the Trail Blazers last week, Christian Koloko and Chris Mañon. Also on the team are Jace Carter, Jarron Cumberland, RJ Davis, Luke Goode, Tevian Jones, Kylor Kelley, Arthur Kaluma, Augustas Marčiulionis, Drew Timme and Anton Watson.

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This story originally appeared in the Los Angeles Times.