He has a name for him, and above all a weight. Bronny James is the first of the children of the legend LeBron James to be on the verge of becoming professional and fulfilling a destiny already mapped out for years, that of one day playing with his father in the NBA. The story was almost too well written when nothing has been done yet. LeBron James Jr, his real full name, has gone through his share of ordeals before to hope to join his father on the floors.
Scrutinized from a very young age, and to the point of excess, Bronny had not even played a game with USC in college when his career dream could have ended, the fault of a cardiac arrest resulting from heart disease . His only season in the NCAA will therefore remain chaotic, between this ordeal from which he was able to recover, and a very disappointing exercise on the part of the Trojans. Not really convincing individually, his registration for this year was in doubt for a time, his real level perhaps even more so.
In a denser Draft, Bronny James would perhaps (probably?) not have been in a position to be selected, even at the end of the second round. But he represents an obvious marketing appeal by his name, and a very limited risk at the end of the Draft for a player who is still young and whose path could not be as linear as expected.
Profile
Job : fullback – leader
Size : 1m87
Weight : 95 kg
Team : Southern California Trojans (NCAA)
Stats 2023/24: 4.8 points (at 36.6%), 2.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists in 19.3 minutes
Strong point
– Defense. Very good athlete, strong, and holder of one of the highest vertical releases of this vintage (6th), Bronny James has the assets to be a stopper of choice. His active hands and reading of the game, especially on assists, are his main strengths in getting playing time at this stage.
Weak points
– Dribbling. Bronny James sees his creative potential very limited at the moment by his very average ball handling. He struggles to make a difference with the ball in hand, especially against stronger defenders. If he can be a decent “secondary” creator around a real ball handler thanks to his basketball IQ, he has neither the agility nor the dexterity to be a real playmaker in the NBA.
– The shot. The mechanics are there, the rhythm for arming too. But after being passable on outside shooting in high school (33.8%), his percentages dipped at USC (26.7%). The figures are even more glaring after pass reception, with a very insufficient 19.6%. Bronny James was able to raise his rating thanks to good skill during the Draft Combine: 76% success on NCAA distance movement shots, the 2nd best in his class. But the indicators are generally not very optimistic from his 67.6% on free throws or 28.1% on floaters this season.
Comparison
His defensive intensity recalls Davion Mitchell. If he manages to improve his “handle”, he could move towards a “tank” leader profile if not as technical as Eric Bledsoe.
Prognosis
End of second round or undrafted. His choice to only try out for the Lakers and the Suns suggests that he will have certain guarantees. However, this seems very strange as it stands in Phoenix, which only has the 22nd pick, far too high for the level and potential of Bronny James.
