"He has LeBron James' DNA" - Draymond Green limits Bronny James' ceiling to 'rotational player' given his #55 draft pick
Bronny James and LeBron James wrote history after the LA Lakers selected James’ son at No. 55 in the second round of the 2024 NBA Draft. Despite being drafted low, Draymond Green thinks LeBron James’ son Bronny James could very well develop into a good rotation player in the NBA.
A very few players have defied their draft ranking and become one of the best players in the league. However, no player has ever played with as much pressure as Bronny James is going to play with when he steps on the court for the Lakers.
James’ son is still not at an NBA level and averaged only 4.8 points while shooting well under 40% from the field while playing for the USC Trojans. While a lot is not expected from a 55th pick, Draymond Green believes that Bronny can develop into a rotational player.
“I am just gonna take the bet that this kid works hard, which he does. He has LeBron James DNA and I am gonna take the bet on that…and then you watch him play, he is a good basketball player,” Green said.
“I’mma take that bet because you got him at 55, so he even becomes a rotation player, you did great and I think he could possibly become a rotational player in the next two years.”
Green also showered praise on Bronny James for how he climbed back from cardiac arrest and further heart surgery. The Golden State Warriors star said that it was a testament to Bronny’s drive and his “work ethic”.
While predicting that Bronny James was going to be a good shooter, Green also said that he was going to be better than many players from the NBA draft this year.
Rob Pelinka reveals why the Lakers chose Bronny James
The narrative about LeBron James' impact on the Lakers selecting Bronny James in the 2024 NBA Draft might not end anytime soon. However, Rob Pelinka the vice president of basketball operations and general manager of the Lakers said that the team didn't even talk to James about drafting his son.
Mark Median of Sportskeeda reported that it was Bronny's work ethic and hard work that the Lakers selected him.
“This moment was happening mostly because of the work that he's put into the game and because of the character and young man that he is."
"We really kept the draft process to Bronny being a Laker and what we felt like we needed to do to help him become great and the core qualities in him that we saw," Pelinka added.
Bronny has the best chance to pick his father's mind while being involved in the game. While he didn't get to spend much time with James, now they are teammates, he can use this time to work on his game before his father retires.