Bronny James, the son of Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James, showed off his talents recently at the 2024 NBA Draft Scouting Combine in hopes of garnering interest around the league. However, a number of NBA scouts seemingly believe that Bronny simply may not be a high-end talent worthy of playing in the NBA.
James notably struggled in his lone collegiate season at USC, averaging 4.8 points per game while shooting just 36.6 percent from the field.
At the combine this week, Bronny tested quite well, showing off a 40.5-inch vertical leap while also shooting quite well during three-point shooting drills, making 19 of his 25 three-point attempt.
Still, there are notable concerns about Bronny’s lack of size, which were further critiqued at the combine when he measured in at just 6-foot-1.5, much shorter than he was previously listed in college, which was 6-foot-four inches.
All in all, NBA scouts seemingly have concerns about how Bronny’s game will transition in the NBA. These concerns were shared by ESPN’s Marc Spears during a recent guest appearance on NBA Today.
“They wanted to reserve judgment until they saw him,” said Spears after recently speaking with two NBA scouts. “They did see that he was listed at 6’1′. And they did see he had a 40.5 vert. But I was like, what would you do right now before he goes and plays? They both said they would not draft him.
“Now, this was their take after watching him play. Scout one: I still don’t think he’s ready, but he did some good things. He is on the smaller side so he’s gonna have to be elite on defense. You can see he has good vision, makes the right passes, takes good shots. He’s probably gonna need more time. If the Lakers don’t draft him, I don’t think anyone will.
“The other scout I talked to said he was a positional athlete that doesn’t function as an elite athlete. Tweener stuck between two positions. Should be a point guard based on his size, but can’t run an offense. He’s handicapped as an undersized shooting guard because he can’t shoot. He’s a poor man’s Davion Mitchell. He is not an NBA prospect in my opinion. Not my words, the words of two NBA scouts.
It’s certainly not what Bronny would like to hear in terms of how NBA scouts perceive him. And naturally, there is some doubt that he will be drafted at all if his dad’s team, the Lakers, don’t select him.
The Lakers have already expressed interest in Bronny, interviewing him during the combine this past week. But it may be more of a move to appease LeBron James than a move that is based on Bronny’s skill level.
