Bronny James overcame a cardiac arrest in the summer to finally make his NCAA debut on Sunday against Long Beach State. It was an extremely emotional moment for the James family, with LeBron James explaining how much Bronny’s debut meant to his entire family.
“You saw it in my post. It meant everything to my family. An emotional and draining day, from the time we woke up to the time the buzzer hit zero. The most important thing, who cares about the win or loss, the kid was standing tall… He’s won at life. Everything else now is just extra credit … The first person out of the James gang to grace a college campus. … That was pretty cool.”
LeBron James on what it meant to be at Bronny's college debut on Sunday. pic.twitter.com/2OZ8QcvBoO
— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) December 13, 2023
Bronny scored four points in his debut and played just 16 minutes, but he showed some strong flashes. He can emerge as one of the starting guards on the roster, primarily due to his extremely sound defensive abilities. We saw Bronny pull off a chase-down block during the game like his father would, as well as provide some strong perimeter pressure.
Even though the USC Trojans lost the game in OT, it was a great starting point for Bronny, who many expect can be a first-round pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.
Bronny James Building His Stock Through Defense
Bronny James was once touted as a borderline top-10 prospect in the 2024 NBA Draft due to the defensive intensity with which he plays. Some experts have projected Bronny to become a De’Anthony Melton-level defender at his floor and possibly, Marcus Smart or Jrue Holiday at his ceiling.
ESPN’s Jonathan Givony has already revealed that Bronny’s defensive pressure in his USC debut has stood out to scouts who watched the game.
“James’ ability to get over screens, contain opponents one-on-one, cover ground seamlessly for steals, and chase down blocks stood out in his limited time on the floor.”
NBA draft expert @DraftExpress believes Bronny James already looks like USC’s best defender
“James' ability to get over screens, contain opponents one-on-one and cover ground seamlessly for steals and chasedown blocks stood out in his limited time on the floor.” pic.twitter.com/nltbdfRnxl
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) December 12, 2023
Defensive ability can guarantee players a spot in the league nowadays, as offense is taking over. A player who provides pure offense has far less utility than a defender. Stars will always take the brunt of offensive creation, but every single player on the court needs to defend. This proves Bronny may just end up being a defensive contributor from day one in the NBA.
While no team will try and draft Bronny solely on the hope that his father will join their team in the summer, it’s clear that many teams could actually benefit from what Bronny provides. A 3-and-D defender can never be ignored, especially when they show that quality as a 19-year-old in college.
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