The USC basketball team has been playing much better as of late as they have won four of their last six games. Their most recent game was against Arizona State basketball at home on Thursday night, and they picked up an 81-73 win. The Trojans are looking better, but Bronny James still hasn't quite found his groove yet this season. James is a true freshman after all, and he still seems to be adjusting to this level of basketball.
This season, Bronny James is averaging 4.8 PPG, 2.7 RPG and 2.4 APG for the USC basketball team. He is shooting 36.3% from the field. However, Trojans head coach Andy Enfield has said numerous times this season that defense is where James can have a big impact when he isn't shooting the ball particularly well. He hasn't been filling up the stat sheet, but he has made some big plays on the defensive end.
When James committed to USC, most people assumed that he would play one season for the Trojans and then head to the NBA. His dad, LeBron James, has made it very clear that he wants to play with him before he retires, but LeBron is running out of time in the league. James certainly hasn't had the season that most people were expecting, and because of that, there is a chance that he comes back to USC for another season.
Because of who his dad is, James is going to have a ton of attention on him for his entire career. If any normal true freshman was only averaging 4.8 PPG, it wouldn't get nearly this much attention. James is playing more than most true freshman do, and even though he was a five-star recruit, it's still normal to have some growing pains during that first year of college basketball.
Bronny James vs. Arizona State
The Arizona State game was another quiet one for James. He came in off the bench and played for 16 minutes. James ended up finishing 0-2 from the floor with zero points, but he did snag a rebound and add two assists. He did come up with a nice steal as well that led to a three. With other guys taking bigger roles on offense, defense is going to be critical for James down the stretch as USC tries to go far in the Pac-12 tournament.
Guys like Boogie Ellis and Isaiah Collier have taken the role of being the main scorers on this USC basketball team, but that doesn't mean we won't see James have a big impact in their remaining games. The Trojans are finally starting to gel well together as a team and they are hitting their stride at the right time. They have had some late-game slip ups to lose their only two games in their last six, so if they tighten up the defense down the stretch, they can be dangerous in the Pac-12 tourney.
It's obviously possible, but it doesn't look like Bronny James is going to be having many games where he is scoring a ton of points this season. If he can come off the bench and play great defense and do what he needs to do on the offensive end, that will do the job. If USC wants to make a run, everyone has to do their job.
James and the Trojans have one more regular season game as they take on Arizona this weekend. After that is the Pac-12 Tournament, and if they want to make the big dance, they'll have to win it.
Follow Us
Subscribe