SUMMARY
- Bronny James still isn't a major prospect in the 2024 NBA Draft despite a great showing in various workouts.
- He still needs to prove his worth in terms of numbers, skill, and capability to take on big roles.
Bronny James’ chances of getting drafted into the NBA have gotten better over time. But there is still some uncertainty around his case since most scouts haven’t seen him perform at his highest level. The latest update on James’ NBA Draft case is that the LA Lakers and Phoenix Suns have shown deep interest in him.
#NBA pic.twitter.com/91oXCVMnhn
— Bronny (@BronnyJamesJr) May 23, 2024
On one hand, the Suns are looking to heighten their chances of winning a title with Kevin Durant. So, drafting Bronny only makes sense if they’re trying to pursue LeBron James. Acquiring the 4x NBA Champion would give them a guaranteed shot at the title. On the other hand, the Lakers want to help LeBron fulfill his dream of playing alongside Bronny. At some point, teams aren’t really interested in Bronny as a player and most experts believe he should return to college. Here’s why:
Bronny James needs to experience competition at each stage
In basketball, there are levels of difficulty, just like what you’d find in a video game. Players who generally have a dominant stint in high school would have to play in college to get used to higher levels of competition. College tends to prepare young athletes like Bronny James to find it easier to transition into the NBA.
Nowadays, players are required to play at least one whole season in college before declaring for the NBA Draft. The minimum age requirement is for a player to be 19 years or older. In James’ case, he barely spent half a season in college after missing the first half of the NCAA 2023-24 season due to a health issue. James barely played over 20 minutes per game which brings us to the next important reason, his numbers. Bronny
James hasn’t lived up to his potential
During his time in high school, Bronny James used to average 14.2 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 1.8 steals per game as a senior. But in college, due to a lack of time spent on the floor with the USC Trojans, he never got to play big minutes and he only averaged 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists in 19.4 minutes per game.
Knowing what Bronny is capable of doing, these numbers do not add up. It would’ve been better for him to spend a little more in college and find his place as a player in NCAA space. This automatically brings us to why he’s not a proper first or second-round pick.
Returning to college could help Bronny James become a top prospect
Putting up a dominant or at least an above-average stat line is something scouts take very seriously. Producing great numbers allows a scout to have more trust in your worth as a player. It would give them a reason to believe that Bronny James is capable of taking on big roles. But his numbers haven’t helped his case in that area.
“only draft me if you think im good enough.. and not because of my dad (LeBron)” pic.twitter.com/uWy8jjK4pe
— Bronny (@BronnyJamesJr) May 15, 2024
Had his stat line been better, Bronny would’ve at least been a guaranteed late first-round to early second-round pick. Similarly, players like Payton Sandfort, Jaxson Robinson, Hunter Sallis, and Nique Clifford had breakout NCAA seasons but failed to show up during the NBA Draft Combine.