“NBA teams can’t seriously be thinking of drafting a mediocre” - College hoops world roasts $5.7 million NIL-valued Bronny James as USC takes on Utah
The chances of Bronny James declaring for the 2024 NBA draft have been talked about for some time now. Even LeBron James has explicitly expressed interest in playing alongside his son at least once before he retires. With LeBron hitting 39, time is closing in for the father-son duo to share the NBA stage.
Recently, there have been rumors that the Los Angeles Lakers, among other teams, are looking to draft Bronny.
This news did not go well with fans who immediately called out the nepotism, pointing out that Bronny James is still a freshman at USC. Many argued he still has more to learn and would do better in college than in the NBA:
Some fans believe that Bronny James is just bad, with little hope in the NBA:
With such strong opinions about his abilities, it remains to be seen if the point guard will join the pros any time soon. For now, all he can do is focus on his college career and hope for the best.
Bronny James' journey so far with USC Trojans
The 19-year-old's stint with the Trojans was initially out to a scary pause early last summer due to a cardiac arrest. He was later diagnosed with a congenital heart defect and underwent surgery along with rehabilitation. This period loomed with doubts about his participation in basketball.
However, Bronny James was later cleared and made his debut with the Trojans on Dec. 10, putting up four points, three rebounds, two assists, two steals and one block while coming off the bench. Of the 16 games he has played, the elder James has started in six and is currently averaging 5.8 points with 3.8 rebounds and 2.6 assists.
Bronny James' best game came against the Oregon State Beavers when he finished with 15 points, three assists and one rebound. In the Trojans' 68-64 win last night against the Utah Utes, Bronny scored seven points, three rebounds and three assists.
Fans have had plenty to say when expressing their opinion about James's skills. However, perhaps his father's biggest critic, Skip Bayless, heaped praise on the young star on "UNDISPUTED":
"So the Bronny I saw play in the McDonald's All-Star Game was good enough to contribute to an NBA team. He has a good enough feel for the game. He has a good enough NBA-type stature, he doesn't have his father's height but he's 6-foot-3 and he's well put together.
"He shoots it a little better than his father's ever shot it from distance. He doesn't have his father's passing gift, but he's a good, solid orchestrator and distributor."
All that can be seen from this is that while Bronny is a good player, he still has room for growth. It will be interesting to see whether he decides to stay in college and further develop his game or declare for the 2024 draft.
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