Bronny James is like few different NBA Draft prospects in current reminiscence. Why?
Effectively, begin by asking your self which different projected second-round decide has had this a lot consideration, arguably greater than the potential No.1 decide, Zaccharie Risacher.
After all, the very fact there may be nonetheless some degree of uncertainty as to who may go first general, mixed with the dearth of celebrity expertise on the prime of this yr’s class, has solely additional thrust the 19-year-old into the highlight.
That’s nothing new for Bronny although, being the son of one of many biggest NBA gamers of all time, heartlessly booed throughout highway video games for USC with Arizona State followers even chanting “overrated” after he missed a layup for the Trojans in January.
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“He’s only a child making an attempt to reside out his dream,” father and Los Angeles Lakers celebrity LeBron stated on his ‘Thoughts the Sport’ podcast with JJ Redick of the “hatred” and “animosity” in the direction of Bronny.
“You recognize, there’s a really small variety of women and men that truly get to reside out their dream of taking part in an expert sport. And we have now grown … women and men out right here doing no matter they’ll to attempt to ensure that doesn’t occur.
“That’s the weirdest factor on the earth.”
The very fact Bronny is even right here, nonetheless on the courtroom and now on the verge of being drafted into the NBA, is one thing value celebrating in itself after he suffered cardiac arrest and collapsed at a July exercise final yr.
For Bronny, his father’s identify is each a blessing and a curse. However now, the 19-year-old is making ready to take step one in the direction of forging his personal path within the NBA.
That doubtless begins on Friday, or probably Thursday, as he waits for his identify to be referred to as by NBA commissioner Adam Silver in both the primary or second spherical of this yr’s draft.
Right here, foxsports.com.au breaks down every little thing you should find out about Bronny forward of the draft, from what NBA specialists are saying about his potential to the place he might land.
BACKGROUND
Bronny was a four-star recruit out of Sierra Canyon Excessive Faculty in Los Angeles, the place he missed the vast majority of his sophomore season with a torn meniscus in his knee.
He actually broke out as a senior, averaging 13.8 factors, 5.5 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.8 steals and was ranked because the No. 19 general recruit within the 2023 recruiting class by ESPN at that time.
Bronny went on to be named McDonald’s All-American, scoring 15 factors on 5-for-8 capturing from downtown with 4 assists within the occasion, whereas additionally incomes choice for Staff USA on the 2023 Nike Hoop Summit.
He had 11 factors, 4 rebounds, an help and a steal in that recreation, not seeing quite a lot of taking part in time within the second half however developing clutch when he was required within the fourth quarter as he drained a key 3-pointer and compelled a turnover on the opposite finish quickly after.
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Bronny thought-about USC earlier than committing to play school basketball at USC, the place his freshman season was interrupted after he suffered a cardiac arrest, which it was later decided was attributable to a congenital coronary heart defect.
It put Bronny’s speedy taking part in future unsure, though he later returned to the courtroom after lacking the opening month of the season to make his USC debut towards Lengthy Seashore State.
Bronny ended up taking part in each recreation for the remainder of the season, though he solely began in six of them and averaged 19.3 minutes, which ranked ninth on the crew.
It resulted within the 19-year-old posting underwhelming numbers, averaging 4.8 factors, 2.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 0.8 steals whereas capturing 36.6 per cent from the sector and 26.7 per cent from deep.
He additionally shot simply 19.6 per cent on catch-and-shoot threes, based on Synergy Sports activities, which is especially regarding if he’s projected to be a 3-and-D man who isn’t capable of persistently create his personal shot.
After all, that shot might come sooner or later however once more, Bronny looks like the type of participant who’s just a few years away from with the ability to have a significant impression within the NBA.
WHAT ARE THE EXPERTS SAYING?
ESPN’s Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo described Bronny as an “explosive guard with robust defensive versatility” however questioned whether or not he has the offensive upside to contribute immediately, including he “just isn’t a dynamic ball handler or shot-creator, missing assertiveness at instances”.
“James made strides as a senior in highschool and had spectacular showings within the spring all-star circuit, however he had a troublesome time discovering his footing at USC, particularly as a scorer,” they wrote.
“His robust really feel for the sport, size, body, budding shot-making prowess and competitiveness defensively give him loads of issues to work with in the long run if he can get again on the encouraging monitor he was on earlier than his cardiac arrest.”
The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie, in the meantime, wrote in his very complete draft information — which is 122 pages lengthy and obtainable right here — that Bronny is a “sharp crew defender with an excellent really feel for the sport” however added that he worries the 19-year-old is “merely a great defender and never the type of outlier nice one he’d have to be to warrant being drafted on his deserves”.
Vecenie’s greatest concern although surrounded Bronny’s measurement and the way that tasks for his means to be a 3-and-D position participant in at present’s NBA, stressing that the Trojans guard wants to enhance his shot to be a real menace as an off-ball participant.
Extra broadly, Vecenie wrote that Bronny would have been “a lot better served” spending one other yr taking part in school basketball to “get the reps he wants offensively”.
“We have to be upfront about this: We’d not be speaking about James as an NBA prospect if not for his father. He’s nowhere close to prepared for the NBA,” Vecenie wrote.
“He’s at the least two years away if each single factor goes proper along with his growth within the subsequent couple of seasons. For him to get the event he wants on the ball and to iron out his consistency as a shooter, he should spend the subsequent two years within the G League. To me, that’s not a worthwhile funding on condition that his upside is one thing within the ballpark of a rotational 3-and-D guard. That upside is affected by potential landmines.
“I couldn’t rank him outdoors of the highest 75 on my board as a result of he’s younger, athletic and clearly has glorious basketball IQ along with an excellent motor on the defensive finish at 19. If this goes proper, you possibly can see an consequence that’s much like Devin Carter.
“Nonetheless, he’s outdoors of the vary of gamers whom I’ve two-way grades on on this class. I’ve an Exhibit 10 grade on Bronny and assume he would have been a lot better served heading again to highschool to get the reps he wants offensively.”
An NBA basic supervisor had comparable ideas when chatting with The Ringer in April.
“Bronny is nowhere close to prepared,” they stated.
“He ought to return to highschool to develop at his personal tempo or he dangers getting misplaced within the shuffle, whether or not or not he’s taking part in along with his dad.”
WHERE COULD HE BE DRAFTED?
Effectively, at this stage the 2 more than likely touchdown spots look like the Lakers (No. 17 and 55) and Suns (No. 22), in case you are going off who Bronny has labored out with earlier than the draft.
ESPN reported that sources from a half-dozen NBA groups stated that they had “problem securing exercises” with Bronny.
His agent Wealthy Paul has been particular about which groups Bronny has labored out with, telling ESPN it’s “nothing new” for him to “discover a crew that values your man and attempt to push him to get there”.
Paul additionally talked about Dallas (No. 58), Minnesota (No. 27 and 37) and Toronto (No. 19 and 31) as different groups which have proven curiosity in Bronny, though the primary two don’t make quite a lot of sense given they’re each title contenders who ought to be drafting gamers that may contribute immediately.
Paul additionally confirmed to Bleacher Report that he has made it clear Bronny is not going to be signing a two-way contract, which supplies NBA groups the chance to maneuver developmental gamers between the NBA and G-League.
You’ll assume a participant like Bronny would profit from spending a while within the G-League engaged on his recreation, whereas ESPN insider Adrian Wojnarowski additionally flagged again in Could that the prospect of the 19-year-old promoting out G-League arenas would make him a horny possibility for a broad vary of groups.
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“Bronny James goes to have an effect for organisations not simply on the basketball aspect however probably on the enterprise aspect,” Wojnarowski stated on ‘NBA In the present day’ on the time.
“He’s virtually assuredly going to start out within the G-league; he’ll pack G-league Arenas, merchandising all of these make him a horny participant whether or not it’s late first spherical or second spherical.”
After all, two months have handed since that time and with the best way James carried out on the NBA Draft Mix after which his Professional Day it’s comprehensible that some groups might have modified their opinion on Bronny’s means to provide within the NBA immediately.
However ruling out a two-way contract does restrict the quantity of groups that will be doubtless open to drafting Bronny, with ESPN’s Brian Windhorst describing Paul’s feedback within the lead-up to the Draft as “very fascinating”.
“The truth that he’s turned down some exercises, which you don’t usually see from a second-round decide and in addition that he has very a lot made public that he’s not going to signal a two-way deal, that does point out in a traditional setting {that a} participant is popping off some groups, closing the door on some groups,” Windhorst stated.
“I’ll say this although, relating to Bronny we’re in a novel scenario the place we can not examine him to different conditions.”
That may be very true, particularly when you think about the ideas some groups may draft Bronny as a manner of then giving themselves leverage in a possible play at LeBron in free company.
Though just lately, most NBA insiders appear to be leaning in the direction of that now not being on the prime of thoughts for each LeBron and groups who might take into account drafting Bronny.
That’s in step with feedback from LeBron himself, who has indicated taking part in with Bronny isn’t the precedence it as soon as was for him.
With that being stated, if Bronny remains to be obtainable at fifty fifth general you would need to assume the Lakers are locked in to take him given the message it could ship LeBron in the event that they didn’t.
Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman, for instance, has Bronny going to the Lakers in his most up-to-date mock draft, the place he wrote:
“Rival groups sound unsure about Bronny James’ probabilities of getting drafted, although the Los Angeles Lakers stay the favored guess as to his more than likely vacation spot. If he’s nonetheless on the board deep into the second spherical, L.A.’s entrance workplace may really feel strain to pick out him, contemplating it’s primarily a risk-free decide that late, and passing at No. 55 would sign to LeBron how little the crew thinks of Bronny.”
Bleacher Report’s Eric Pincus, in the meantime, reported earlier this month that the Lakers are “broadly anticipated to draft Bronny both with certainly one of their very own two picks (No.17 or 55) or by buying and selling up within the second spherical.”
Wojnarowski, nevertheless, reported the Lakers “aren’t contemplating” Bronny with their first-round decide, which is smart given the crew has different wants to deal with and may’t afford a luxurious decide like Bronny at that value.