It's no secret that Bronny James' freshman season didn't go as planned, as he averaged 4.8 points a game after recovering from cardiac arrest. The 19-year-old's surprise decision to leave USC men's basketball for the NBA Draft—and the transfer portal if he decides against turning pro—has sent shockwaves throughout the basketball world, with some NBA teams and analysts strongly supporting the move.
“It’s the right move. I mean, when you look at Bronny [James]. I always said that I don’t believe that [he] is built for college,” said ESPN's Kendrick Perkins on First Take. “I think he will be a hell of a pro. I’m not saying that he’s gonna be [LeBron].”
Meanwhile, some NBA teams also think he's already a pro-level defender, via Shams Charania of the Athletic, who spoke on FanDuel TV's Run It Back. Is Bronny really ready for the big time, or is he getting overhyped due to his family lineage?
Media is putting too much pressure on Bronny James
If this were any other player, they wouldn't be in this type of discussion given James' lack of production. However, Bronny happens to be the son of Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James, so everything he does is under a microscope. On top of that, LeBron has been vocal about his desire to play with Bronny. If it ever happens, they'll be the first father-son duo in NBA history.
However, it's hard to imagine Bronny is currently ready for the pros after not being able to crack the starting lineup on his college team. While he did show flashes of his defensive talent with 0.8 steals per game, that's still not enough to be anointed as a pro-level defender, either. There's a reason why Perkins didn't support his opinion with any concrete facts or data.
“His priority right now is to stay in the draft, from what I'm told,” Charania mentioned. “If he's somewhere in that late first-round range, seeing exactly where he can end up in this NBA draft process.”
It's fair to wonder if NBA scouts and executives are more enamored with the possibility of landing LeBron rather than Bronny himself. Since there's a chance LeBron would do everything in his power to play with his son, drafting Bronny could be a strategic move for teams to land the elder James in the twilight of his career.
With Bronny still maintaining his college eligibility, it's feasible that he could stay in the NCAA for another year after receiving feedback from NBA teams. Transferring to another school and having a stronger sophomore season would be good for the young guard's development. However, if Bronny does get drafted this season, whatever team he goes to will need to handle his development with care, as he's still quite raw.
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