Saturday, February 15, 2025
HomesportWhat to make of Bronny James' lackluster season and future NBA prospects

What to make of Bronny James’ lackluster season and future NBA prospects


LAS VEGAS — Nobody has long gone thru extra heartbreak this faculty basketball season than USC freshman Bronny James. The 6-foot-2 shield dedicated to USC endmost spring, and the Trojans had the Incorrect. 3-ranked recruiting elegance that integrated James and Incorrect. 1 highschool anticipation Isaiah Collier.

In August, James suffered a cardiac arrest at observe and underwent surgical operation. He returned to the courtroom on Dec. 10 in a house sport in opposition to Lengthy Seashore Surrounding and logged 17 mins, completing with 4 issues, 3 rebounds, two assists and two steals within the additional time loss. His comeback in 4 scale down months is disturbed to consider upcoming the entirety he went thru and a testomony to the paintings he installed to go back to the staff this season.

“Anytime a young man misses four months, including the first part of the season, it’s hard to just start playing in December,” USC head lecturer Andy Enfield advised Yahoo Sports activities. “You’re behind on a variety of things, including conditioning, timing on offense and defense, the system you’re trying to learn. It’s really hard as a freshman, but I give him a ton of credit. He showed up every day focused, he works extremely hard and is a great teammate.”

Collier, a possible lottery select on this presen’s draft, no doubt concurs with that sentiment.

“Bronny’s grown a lot this year,” Collier advised Yahoo Sports activities. “College ball is definitely hard for everyone coming in as a freshman and especially what he went through. People don’t know how hard he works. He’s unselfish and he’s a smart player.”

USC’s arise and fall this season took place temporarily. James was once out to start out the season, Collier destitute his wrist and overlooked a year, and Josh Morgan overlooked a handful of video games because of problem. Then being ranked throughout the AP Manage 25 to start out the season, the Trojans dropped six directly video games in January and misplaced nearly all hopes of constructing the NCAA match.

Incorrect. 6 Arizona ended USC’s season Thursday within the quarterfinals of the Pac-12 match. The Wildcats gained in a commanding style, 70-49. It wasn’t the most productive taking pictures evening for USC and that integrated James. He completed with 3 issues (1-for-5 from 3-point length) and one rebound in 22 mins.

LAS VEGAS, NV - MARCH 13: USC Trojans guard Bronny James (6) looks on during the first round game of the men's Pac-12 Tournament  between the USC Trojans and the Washington Huskies on March 13, 2024, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV. (Photo by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)LAS VEGAS, NV - MARCH 13: USC Trojans guard Bronny James (6) looks on during the first round game of the men's Pac-12 Tournament  between the USC Trojans and the Washington Huskies on March 13, 2024, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV. (Photo by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

USC Trojans shield Bronny James (6) appears to be like on right through the primary spherical of the Pac-12 Match between the USC Trojans and the Washington Huskies on March 13, 2024, on the T-Cell Area in Las Vegas. (Photograph via Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire by the use of Getty Photographs)

Along with his dad, LeBron, pronouncing more than one occasions he desires to finish his NBA profession taking part in along his son, many marvel if this was once Bronny’s endmost sport in a USC jersey.

It’s sunny he wishes extra building prior to he contributes to any NBA roster, however there were many gamers drafted within the era with matching stat strains to Bronny who’ve advanced within the G League, getting reps and adjusting to the date and physicality of the NBA sport.

Simply endmost presen, Chris Livingston was drafted via the Milwaukee Bucks with the Incorrect. 58 select. In his one presen at Kentucky, Livingston averaged 6.3 issues and four.2 rebounds. Additionally in 2023, the Minnesota Timberwolves drafted UCLA’s Jaylen Clark at Incorrect. 53. Clark tore his Achilles overdue endmost season, and the Timberwolves nonetheless drafted him on attainable, understanding they must wait a complete season prior to he hits the courtroom. In 2022, the Denver Nuggets drafted Peyton Watson with the thirtieth general select upcoming he averaged 3.3 issues and a couple of.9 rebounds in a single season at UCLA.

Bronny’s freshman presen at USC was once very underwhelming from a scouting perspective. He ended the season averaging 4.9 issues, 2.9 rebounds and a couple of.2 assists date taking pictures 27.3% from in the back of the arc. There’s doubt in his 3-ball and he didn’t assert himself on offense enough quantity this season, taking part in along two ball-dominant guards in Collier and Boogie Ellis. The place he’s maximum impactful is at the defensive finish. Bronny can guard each positions within the backcourt, conserving gamers in entrance, and is an magnificient rebounder for his measurement. He’s gotten more potent since endmost presen and does a just right task at launch place when the shot is going up.

“He’s a very smart player and has a solid feel for the game,” one NBA scout advised Yahoo Sports activities. “He needs more time to develop, but the fundamental mechanics are there.”

Bronny will perhaps check the NBA waters and obtain comments from groups. Klutch Sports activities CEO Affluent prosperous Paul it is going to be strategic in what groups he meets with and what workout routines he schedules. Gamers have till June 16 to eject from the NBA Draft.

“I think he’ll probably stay in this draft,” one NBA govt advised Yahoo Sports activities. “Should he go back for another year? Probably, but teams will take a serious look at him this year if he decides to stay in this draft class.”

Bronny is a long way from a completed product and has at all times been a participant who doesn’t sprint the improvement procedure. He was once affected person along with his enlargement at Sierra Canyon Top Faculty (Chatsworth, California) and was once named a McDonald’s All-American, some of the very best honors for highschool basketball gamers, his senior presen. It’s an honor he proved he earned outdoor of being LeBron’s son. During the all-star game, Bronny strike 5 3-pointers and added 4 assists along with his nation sitting courtside.

The deciding issue for Bronny might be in accordance with whether or not he desires to proceed to create in opposition to his friends on the school stage, or get reps within the G League taking part in with NBA regulations and spacing.

In a now-deleted tweet from Feb. 26, LeBron weighed in at the hypothesis and complaint atmosphere his son, pronouncing, “Can y’all please just let the kid be a kid and enjoy college basketball,” LeBron wrote. “The work and results will ultimately do the talking no matter what he decides to do.”

The 2024 NBA Draft is thought of as to be an excessively susceptible draft elegance. There’s no consensus Incorrect. 1 select and there might be enough of motion on NBA staff draft forums between now and June 26. It’s additionally virtue noting that the Los Angeles Lakers have the 56th select within the draft, and if Bronny had been to stick on this presen’s draft, the Lakers can be obese favorites to land him.

Bronny and his nation have enough of date to come to a decision which route he’ll absorb additional growing as a participant — yet one more presen at USC, or bounce to the professionals the place he and LeBron may produce historical past as the primary father-son duo to percentage an NBA courtroom.





Source link

RELATED ARTICLES

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

- Advertisment -

Most Popular

Recent Comments