Is Bronny James worth a first-round pick?
An anonymous NBA general manager gave a blunt answer to this question in an interview with the Ringer earlier this month, saying LeBron James Jr. would have been a first-round prospect this year had he only developed a reliable jump shot at USC.
“He’d be a first-rounder if he had shot well [at USC],” GM said in an article published on the Ringer last April 10.
“[ESPN draft insider Jonathan] Givony had him ranked as a lotto guy at one point last year for a reason,” the GM added. “But unfortunately, Bronny’s shot still hasn’t developed.”
The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor published an article titled “An Honest Scouting Report of Bronny James” which seeks to present readers with unbiased opinions on Bronny James’ skill set and NBA readiness as he prepares for the NBA Draft.
O’Connor claimed he had a scout, an NBA general manager, and another front-office executive as his sources and he intended to keep their names undisclosed for confidentiality reasons.
Bronny James is Not Ready for the NBA
LeBron James Jr., popularly known as Bronny James, drew a lukewarm reaction from the basketball community following his decision to declare for the 2024 NBA Draft despite underperforming in his freshman season at USC.
In 25 games for the Trojans, James averaged 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists in 19.4 minutes per game, according to ESPN stats/info. He also had a 36.6 FG% and 26.7 3PT%, which are not particularly noteworthy for an NBA prospect.
Although it is worth remembering that James suffered a heart attack, which delayed his college basketball debut by several weeks, the GM emphasized that Bronny’s performance this season will not be enough to make him an appealing prospect for NBA teams.
“Bronny is nowhere near ready,” an NBA general manager told the Ringer. “He should go back to school to develop at his own pace or he risks getting lost in the shuffle, whether or not he’s playing with his dad.”
The Best is Yet to Come for Bronny James
At 19 years old, James still has time to improve his game and become the enticing NBA prospect that everyone expected him to be in the future.
While his offensive style is still developing, some NBA analysts praised his potential to become a quality perimeter defender, despite the GM’s belief that he is slightly undersized at 6-foot-2.
ESPN’s Brian Windhorst expressed optimism about Bronny James’ NBA prospects, saying scouts did not believe he was allowed to put his best foot forward during his freshman year at USC.
“When I talked with scouts about Bronny, they don’t think that he was able to put his best foot forward this year because USC didn’t play him in his position,” Windhorst said during Pat McAffee Show on April 19.
“They had several guard draft prospects and he played sort on the wing. They say he should play point guard where he played and excelled when he was in high school,” Windhorst added.
Despite declaring for the 2024 NBA Draft, Bronny James also entered the transfer portal, which would allow him to resume his collegiate basketball career with a different team if he decides to withdraw from this year’s draft.
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