SUMMARY
- Bronny James scored 13 points shooting 4-10 from the field in 23 minutes during his second scrimmage.
- The 19-year-old is focused on playing to the best of his abilities.
It has been a rough ride for Bronny James ever since the health scare that took place nearly a year ago while he prepared to make his college debut with the USC Trojans. The high school version of himself witnessed a top-tier offensive guard with impeccable all-around skills. However, Bronny was never allowed to live up to his potential while he was at USC mainly due to his health condition. James suffered from a congenital heart defect that required surgery.
His first season with the USC Trojans was very underwhelming as he averaged 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game coming off the bench alongside Isaiah Collier and Boogie Ellis. After declaring for the 2024 NBA Draft, scouts weren’t convinced that he had what it takes to compete in the league. But his draft combine run has been quite impressive. The 19-year-old has already played in two scrimmages. LeBron James was also there to witness his son compete during the second scrimmage.
Bronny James put on a dominant show during his second draft combine scrimmage
During his first scrimmage with the other potential rookies, Bronny James got to appear on the floor for 19 minutes. It took him a little while to get used to the setting and he only scored 4 points along with 4 rebounds. While that was decent enough, his second scrimmage saw a more productive and dominant side of him. He finished with 13 points in 23 minutes shooting 4-10 from the field. Bronny also set a standard for himself claiming he knows he can be like the Jrue Holidays and Derrick Whites of the NBA.
“I always try to come out and play with the most effort… I play hard and I will always play hard and I feel like that shows up on the defensive end.”
Bronny James on how he can impact the defensive side of the ball 💪 pic.twitter.com/IznjljyPXx
— NBA Draft (@NBADraft) May 15, 2024
After the scrimmage, he spoke about the mindset he brings to the floor with him. “You know, I always try to come out and play with my most effort. I try to play the right way but I play hard and I will always play hard. And I feel like that shows up on the defensive end. Yeah I just try to focus on that and that’s what will give me minutes in the longer run,” he said. So far, he’s handled things quite well in terms of convincing scouts he’s worth the shot. This scrimmage was the best we’ve seen Bronny play since forever, and it also showed what he’s capable of.
Critics still may not be convinced that Bronny James is NBA-ready
Several experts believe that Bronny James will most likely start his journey in the G League and move up from there. Not everyone thinks Bronny can live up to the expectations he’s set for himself. Stephen A. Smith recently revealed what people have had to say to him about the youngster making a run to get into the league. Smith said “Everybody that I’ve spoken to says he’s not ready for the NBA. Says he should stay in college, says he has somethings to prove.”
“Everybody that I’ve spoken to says he’s not ready for the NBA… [They say] he should stay in college… They say the younger brother Bryce has more potential.”
Stephen A. Smith on Bronny James 👀
(via @ESPNNBA / YT)pic.twitter.com/juG9pSTWBF
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) May 15, 2024
He added, “They talk about his athleticism, they talk about his defensive prowess. They say that he has potential [but] they say the younger brother, Bryce, has more potential.” What Bronny has proven is that he can be an exceptional role player in any depth lineup. James has a great three-point stride to rely on and can defend fairly well against primary ball handlers. However, most of the criticism comes from him being LeBron’s son and that he should be able to get himself at least amongst the lottery picks.