Everyone has their eyes on Los Angeles Lakers' second round draft pick Bronny James, and NBA 2K25 fans are eager to know what rating the developers will give him when the game launches this September. The 55th overall pick from the 2024 NBA Draft started cold in the Summer League. However, he did show signs of improvement in the last two games. But is that enough for the developers of 2K to give make him one of the highest rated rookies? We came up with our own projected rating for Bronny in NBA 2K25, and how we came to that conclusion.
What Should Bronny James' NBA 2K25 OVR Rating Be?
We believe that Bronny James should start with a 68 OVR in NBA 2K25. However, considering his name and popularity, it's reasonable to assume he'll receive a rating of 70 or higher. While there are strong arguments that the number should be lower (or higher), there were various factors that helped us come to this projection.
Players of the Past
Firstly, we have to consider the typical ratings that rookies drafted 55th overall receive. Isaiah Wong, last year's 55th overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, started with a 68 OVR in NBA 2K24. Gui Santos, the 55th overall pick of the 22′ NBA Draft, also started with a 68 OVR in 2K24.
But then you have other players drafted in the same exact spot with a higher rating. Take a look at 2021 draft pick Aaron Wiggins (not to be confused with Andrew). He was drafted 55th overall in the 2021 NBA Draft, but his NBA 2K22 launch rating was a 74. Therefore, it wouldn't be far-fetched to see Bronny James receive something similar when you consider his last name alone. However, most rookies drafted that late usually never get a rating that high.
Bronny's Career So Far
Secondly, we need to take a look at Bronny James' career so far outside of High School. Entering College, many analysts considered Bronny a highly rated prospect. Some already considered him a top 10 NBA Draft pick before even playing his first game for the USC Trojans. He appeared in the 25 of the team's 33 total games that year, starting in six of them.
It's not uncommon for players to only play one year of College ball for a limited time before going pro. Reed Sheppard, the third overall pick from the 2024 NBA Draft, also played just one year in College, only starting in five games. 76ers' first round pick Jared McCain played one year at Duke before declaring for the Draft, though he started all games he played in.
This makes it a bit more difficult to gauge James' skill, considering his general inexperience. Sure, he earned multiple awards in High School, but what about College? James played 19.3 minutes per game across 25 appearances for the Trojans, which gives us roughly only eight hours of actual footage to look over. The only other place we can look at is his 2K25 Summer League performances, which weren't anything to marvel about.
He struggled early and often to shoot accurately, and his defensive skills looked abysmal. His bad performances led many to question whether or not he even had what it took to play in the NBA. Nevertheless, Bronny did show signs of improvement eventually, scoring a combined 25 points in his last two games. While these aren't mind-blowing numbers, they're not bad for a rookie drafted in the second round. It shows that he's at least getting a bit more comfortable and can that he can improve over time.
But you also need to consider that Bronny will be facing better players when his number gets called in the regular season. Will he be able to improve against high quality players who've been in the league for years?
The main thing here is that Bronny is obviously still very young and inexperienced. In order to fully gauge his talent and skill level, we simply need to see him play more. Perhaps he'll continue to improve. Or perhaps the jokes about him riding his father's coattails will continue forever. Regardless, you'll get to play with him in NBA 2K24.
But there are also reasons we believe Bronny may receive a higher rating than expected.
It's All in the Family.
Popularity goes a long way in life, and having a father who's one of the greatest basketball players of all time has its benefits. In fact, Ronnie 2K has already teased the Bronny James OVR reveal, which leads us to believe that his OVR might be higher than what we suggested. I mean, when was the last time we saw a 55th overall pick player attend one of these rating reveal events?
Furthermore, why would 2K tease his rating if they just plan on giving him a low rating?
The feeling here is that the developers want to create another neck-turning rating reveal. Last year, they surprised many by making Victor Wembanyama the highest rated rookie in NBA 2K history. Could they do something so controversial as to give Bronny a high rating? Who knows. But I won't be surprised, considering how many clicks or views a story like that would get.
That wraps up our thoughts on Bronny James' projected NBA 2K25 rating. In the meantime, feel free to check out the NBA 2K25 cover athletes.
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