SAN FRANCISCO – As the Los Angeles Lakers rested their starters and were eliminated in their preseason finale, 132-74, by the Golden State Warriors on Friday, rookie guard Bronny James closed out the practice slate with some personal improvement.

Bronny, the eldest son of LeBron James who was selected No. 55 in the draft by LA, started against the Warriors and scored 17 points on 7-for-17 shooting, with 4 rebounds, 3 steals and 1 block in 35 minutes.

“It’s just a great feeling to go out there and not think as much as I do and just play,” Bronny said after the game.

The 20-year-old struggled mightily in his first five preseason games, scoring a total of 8 points on 4-for-20 shooting (0-for-7 from 3), with 5 turnovers.

Friday was a different story. Bronny made his first shot less than a minute after tip-off, scoring on a cutting layup while absorbing contact at the rim. He also eventually connected on a 3 and beat the shot clock with a 28-foot jumper from the top of the arc in the second quarter.

Lakers coach JJ Redick said it was another step in the development of the prospect who LA signed to a four-year, $7.9 million contract in the offseason.

“I think all the moments are building blocks for him and all our younger players,” Redick said. “Not just the good moments. The bad moments are learning opportunities. I think you have to have a certain amount of patience and optimism. I have a lot of confidence in the level of work that our young boys have put in.

“So again, I think it felt good for him to have 17 points. I’m not even worried about that. It’s not even on my radar. Like, we’re trying to help.” he’s growing into a great basketball player.”

Bronny’s preseason mirrors his performance during summer league at the California Classic and in Las Vegas, when he took his lumps before scoring in double figures in his final two games to help LA to two victories.

“(It gives me) a little bit of confidence going into the season, even though I might not be in that rotation, I might not be playing, I’m just going to go to practice, maybe G League games with that confidence in myself to to go out there and play my game,” Bronny said. “I feel like that’s the biggest part of it.”

The Lakers’ other bright spot in the lopsided loss was rookie Quincy Olivari, an Exhibit 10 signee who led LA with 22 points on 8-for-16 shooting (5-for-9 from 3) and 7 rebounds.

Warriors star Stephen Curry, who was held out of the game with a sprained finger, then spent time with both Bronny and Olivari.

Olivari showed Curry a video of him getting an autograph from the sharpshooter as a child while attending a Warriors road game against the Atlanta Hawks. Curry gave him a pair of his sneakers as a gift and signed them as well.

“I used to sleep under that sweater,” Olivari said, fighting back tears as he told reporters the story. “I just wanted to be like him so much. So to be able to meet him, to have some respect for me and to let us talk in the back – he gave me a pair of his shoes and signed them. That meant the world to me. “

Olivari’s Exhibit 10 deal allows LA to retain its rights to their G League team, the South Bay Lakers. The Lakers could also opt to waive one of their three two-way players at some point to bring him to their NBA team, but currently those spots are occupied by big men as insurance behind Anthony Davis and Jaxson Hayes, with Christian Wood injured. start the season.

“I just want a job in the NBA,” Olivari said. “For example, it’s all I wanted since I was five years old and my father always said my greatest gift is my energy. Energy can never be created or destroyed, only transferred. So I bring energy to whatever team I wants. and I bring every group forward.”