Bronny James is set to be part of the selection pool in the 2024 NBA Draft. James isn’t coming into the league as a highly-touted prospect, but he’s one of the biggest talking points because of who his father is. Marc Spears shared what veteran scouts think about Bronny after the few first days of the pre-draft process.
“I still don’t think he’s ready but he did some good things. He’s on the smaller side, so he’s gonna have to be elite on defense. You can see he has good vision, makes the right passes, and takes good shots. He’s gonna need some more time. If the Lakers don’t draft him, I don’t see anyone drafting him. Teams will want him on a two-way and I don’t think Klutch would want that.”
Spears read out another scouting report which was far more negative, questioning if Bronny’s skill made up for his lack of size, observing that even with his defensive tools, he was being hunted as a switch matchup by bigger players who successfully scored. The scout had a pretty worrying comp for Bronny.
“His comp: A poor man’s Davion Mitchell. He’s not an NBA prospect in my opinion.”
The comp with Davion Mitchell has been made to discredit Bronny’s talent, but Bronny himself named Davion as one of the three players he wants to emulate in the NBA as a defense-first guard.
Marc’s overall insights can be boiled down to be a quite poor assessment of Bronny, who anticipates being selected as a draft pick instead of having to sign as an undrafted free agent. If that ends up being the case, it’s fair to assume Bronny will be wearing the purple and gold of the Lakers by the time training camp comes around.
Bronny has had a decent showing at the NBA Draft Combine so far, slowly appearing on Draft boards after not featuring for most of the season. His physical attributes have impressed scouts, as Bronny has a 6’8″ wingspan and a 40.5-inch vertical. However, his 6’1″ stature without shoes is holding him back. In terms of skill development, many believe Bronny needs another season in college.
“No, he’s not good enough. Maybe if he went back to college for another year or two. But now? Not an NBA player. Not even close.”
Bronny has committed to being in the Draft and will likely find a home in the NBA. Whether he can sustain a career in the NBA on the strengths of his own skill set is something we’ll have to wait and see.
He has played in two Combine scrimmage games, putting four points and four rebounds in the first where he displayed his skill-set as a supporting piece. He had a much better showing in the second game, going 4-10 and leading his team in scoring with 10 points while showing flashes of solid on-ball defense.
His entry into the NBA might be guaranteed, whether it’s the Lakers or even someplace like Utah, but his staying in the league is predicated on finding a long-term role.
Draft Express Selects Bronny James At No. 54 In Latest NBA Mock Draft
ESPN’s Draft expert Jonathan Givony, also known as Draft Express, broke down how Bronny has improved his draft stock after his first few appearances in the NBA Draft Combine.
“This was a positive week in Chicago for Bronny James. He’s moved into the second round of our latest projections. He’s going to be 54 in our next update.”
Givony broke down how scouts at the Combine feel like Bronny is a legitimate NBA prospect based on his athletic talent and fundamentals. His attitude is what’s winning most scouts over, with Bronny reportedly very comfortable with the prospect of peaking as a role-player in the NBA.
“Talking to NBA people out here, they feel he’s legitimized himself as an NBA prospect. He’s not some sideshow LeBron’s son. I think the way he shot the ball is real, the athletic testing. His first day in 5×5 was pretty bad but yesterday, he played a great role and helped his team to a win while playing good defense and making shots. He’s showing his feel for the game and versatility, people love his attitude, enthusiasm, and the way he understands the player that he is. This was a very good week for Bronny James in Chicago.”
"People love [Bronny's] attitude, his enthusiasm, the way he understands what type of player that he is." @DraftExpress ranks Bronny James No. 54 in his latest 2024 NBA Mock Draft 🏀 📈 pic.twitter.com/snYC1iHlJt
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) May 16, 2024
This ranking would project Bronny to be drafted by the Boston Celtics, one pick ahead of the Lakers at No. 55. Even the No. 58 pick Dallas Mavericks’ are reportedly keeping an eye on Bronny, so it seems the last few teams with picks in the Draft will do their due diligence with the prospect.
All of this attention on Bronny is obviously because of his father’s name. We have never seen a draft pick expected to go in the late 50s be broken down to such a degree.
A pick to select Bronny could go sideways for whoever takes the jump, or it could be the sort of move that fanbases smile upon years later if he lives up to be a high-caliber role-player who impacts winning.
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