A heavily criticized beneficiary? This season, Bronny is set to prove himself!

Facing the Trail Blazers back-to-back, LeBron remained out, Doncic and Reeves sat out, Vincent was sidelined due to injury, and the Lakers almost "handed over" a starting lineup.

The Trail Blazers, in contrast, had a more complete roster, with Lowry back in action and Chinese player Yang Hansen recalled.

Even if you're a die-hard Lakers fan, you'd probably think:"We got beaten last month when Little Li was playing, so today, losing by less counts as a win!"

Yet... the Lakers beat the Trail Blazers 123-115, achieving a four-game winning streak despite such unfavorable conditions.

In the NBA world, truly anything can happen.

Maybe next game, let Rui Hachimura rest too...

Statistics:

Lakers: Rui Hachimura 28 points 4 rebounds, Ayton 29 points 10 rebounds 3 blocks, Smith 25 points 4 assists, Bronny 5 points 6 assists, Smart 9 points, LaRavia 11 points 6 assists.

Trail Blazers: Avdija 33 points 6 rebounds, Sharpe 23 points 7 rebounds, Kamara 14 points 7 rebounds, Grant 18 points 3 rebounds.

Yang Hansen was still DNP, watching from the second row.

The Lakers grinding out this win deserves praise from many.

Perhaps you were impressed by Hachimura’s nearly flawless mid-range shooting;

Maybe you admired Ayton turning into a Cupid against his former team, lining up apologies;

Or you were struck by Steel's toughness and aura;

But these three players are already familiar names in the NBA world, seasoned through ups and downs, earning big money. Their good performances are not surprising.

Who truly surprised and earned the WC call?

There were two players:

First, Smith.

Nick Smith came off the bench, playing 26 minutes 52 seconds, shooting 10-for-15 with 5-for-6 from three, scoring 25 points with 6 assists and 2 steals, a true surprise contributor.

Last season, this player averaged 9 points with the Hornets; this season, he's on a two-way contract.

This guy is fast and a precise shooter.

You can tell he has the potential to be a wild card.

Besides him, I mainly want to talk about Bronny.

Since the prince entered the NBA, doubts have always surrounded him. Being picked by the Lakers and signing a 4-year contract surely involved some "connections," which is no secret.

Previously, Garnett mocked him: "He reminds me of a young Kobe! I mean, Kobe at age ten."

But what I want to express is:From the two games yesterday and today, Bronny’s significant progress is clear.

If you deny this, it only shows your eyesight is flawed or that you might not have watched the games.

Today, Bronny played 19 minutes 29 seconds, scoring 5 points on 1-for-4 shooting, handing out 6 assists with zero turnovers, setting the Lakers' highest zero-turnover assist record this season.

Notice, he earned Reddick’s trust and became a regular rotation player.

He faced the Trail Blazers’ wolf-like aggressive defense.

LeBron James could only give him the chance to perform on stage. What he makes of it depends entirely on Bronny’s own fortune.

Judging from these two games, he has improved.

In what way? Game reading.

Being able to read the game is a high-level skill not every player possesses.

Though Bronny is a star second-generation player, he is genuinely hardworking and humble.

He knows what he should do and what he can do.

Score like Smith? Honestly, the prince doesn’t have that level or explosiveness.

His physique and scoring consistency are lacking; what limits his next step is definitely his relatively average physical ability. He doesn’t have his dad’s large frame.

But what is Bronny’s strength? Defense.

He can handle simple offensive organization, but what impresses most is his defensive intensity, positioning, and anticipation. He plays like there’s no tomorrow... that kind of energy is truly moving.

Now in the regular rotation, he can contribute positively to the Lakers.

This is progress.

Last season, he played 27 regular-season games, averaging 2.3 points, 0.7 rebounds, 0.8 assists with a 31.3% shooting percentage, showing poor performance.

This year, he has grown.

You can tell from his physique that he must have put in tremendous effort behind the scenes...