SUMMARY
- Bronny James is expected to participate in the NBA Draft.
- Despite a few underwhelming measurements, James still have great potential in playmaking, defending, and long-range shooting.
Fans are certainly eager to know Bronny James’ status in the upcoming NBA Draft. Despite making an official announcement that he’s declaring for the 2024 NBA Draft, he’s still uncertain if he should go ahead with it. Bronny’s value as a player is still meager considering that he hasn’t fully developed his abilities in the big leagues. Not too many scouts believe he’s ready to come into the league, and underprepared athletes often find it hard to have a long career.
James has only spent a year in college. He played for the USC Trojans averaging 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game on 36.6% shooting. Based on his run in high school, Bronny has barely met the standards he set for himself before coming into the college basketball space. This has become a major point of concern among scouts, which is why he isn’t listed on many mock draft lists.
Bronny James could be a strong playmaker despite the underwhelming measurements
Another reason why he hasn’t made mock draft lists is that he’s still yet to confirm his participation in the draft. Bronny James has time until 29th May to make his participation official. For now, he’s been training hard to attract scouts from all over the league. James also recently participated in the NBA Draft combine. Let’s just say there were some good and bad takeaways from his performance.
Bronny James jr. official NBA Combine measurements:
– Height: 6’1.5 (w/out shoes)
– Weight: 210lbs
– Wingspan: 6’7.25 pic.twitter.com/FfyQ95tCcD— 🦉 Lakers Vino (@VinoUncorked) May 13, 2024
While Bronny was in college, the NCAA listed him as 6’4” feet tall. However, he was listed as 6’1” feet at the combine. NBA scouts were certainly going to take this into consideration since he would be one of the shorter individuals in the draft. But his shooting ability would certainly give him a better chance of being selected. James shot an impressive 19-25 from three-point range during the combine. There are several players like him who succeed at 6’1” feet like Donovan Mitchell, Trae Young, and Mike Conley.
Bronny James just crushed the 3-point star shooting drill at the NBA draft combine. 19/25, good for second place. pic.twitter.com/50UVXXy3GY
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) May 14, 2024
Bronny’s wingspan is quite large for someone for his height. His wingspan was listed at 6’7” feet, which is equally as lengthy as Jrue Holiday or Marcus Smart, two of the top defenders in the league at his position. His standing vertical capped at 32 inches while his running vertical jump was 40.5 inches (fourth among all participants).
40.5 inch max vert pic.twitter.com/pqpv6HeBjO
— Bronny (@BronnyJamesJr) May 14, 2024
So there are reasons why NBA scouts should consider Bronny James as a legitimate candidate. He can shoot consistently, he’s incredibly athletic, and even though his size is a bit concerning, he can still be a defensive threat. Bronny also managed to go just over a minute of constant movements while being tested for conditioning. These measurements can easily be matched with any other first-round pick as well.
There is still uncertainty if Bronny James will make the cut
Is Bronny James worthy of being a second-round pick? Yes, he will excel as a role player on any team even if he’s coming off the bench. It is quite unfortunate that his health scare from last year will play a huge role in his future in the league. But that doesn’t seem like much of a concern now. But it did impact his run at USC through the entire 2023-24 campaign.
“LeBron James wants to play up until two more NBA seasons. The Lakers want to bring him back, and want to bring in Bronny James in the second round.
LeBron wants to see what moves the Lakers make before his player option.”
– @ShamsCharania pic.twitter.com/2GXMomXBEl
— The Laker Files (@LakerFiles) May 10, 2024
But if no team is willing to select Bronny James, there is still a chance that he gets to play in the league. We are aware that LeBron James is coming slower towards the end of his career and one of his biggest dreams is to play alongside his son. The Los Angeles Lakers expressed their willingness to make moves to acquire Bronny this year. They could either use their 55th slot in the second round or sign him to a two-way contract as well.