The Lakers drafted Bronny James, the son of LeBron James, with the 55th overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, making history by forming the first father-son duo to play together on the same NBA roster.
While the idea of James and his firstborn playing together is a feel-good story, several anonymous NBA executives and scouts sympathize with Bronny on account of the high expectations placed upon him.
One Eastern Conference scout, who evaluated Bronny for years, told ESPN’s Baxter Holmes that Bronny was being “set up for failure” by those in his inner circle, including his father.
“You’re set up for failure,” the scout said in an article published on October 8. “It’s like, what’s the expectation here?”
Another Eastern Conference executive felt that Bronny — who averaged a mere 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists as a freshman at USC — was not the player many in the Lakers organization expect him to develop into.
“The expectations for Bronny by the fan base and by LeBron and Rich Paul are not commensurate with the reality of his game. If they had any real idea of how far away Bronny is, they just would not have done this,” he told ESPN.
Should Bronny Have Stayed in School?
When Bronny declared for the NBA Draft, many former players and scouts felt he should have remained in college for another season or two to further his development.
To that end, one Western Conference executive told ESPN that Bronny “should have stayed in school” and his feelings about the matter grew only stronger when he watched James Jr. at the NBA Draft Combine in May 2024.
“No doubt about it,” he added.
Another Western Conference executive was shocked that Bronny’s inner circle perpetrated his path to the NBA, specifically to the Lakers, despite knowing well the limitations of his game and unreadiness for pro basketball.
“For this whole thing to have even made it this far is surreal,” he told ESPN. “Analytically, if you just had the numbers on a page and had no name attached to it, he doesn’t project in any way, shape or form to be an NBA player. His measurables don’t project as an NBA player. There’s literally nothing about him on paper — if no name is attached to it — that makes this make sense.”
Lakers Brass High on Bronny James
Despite all the skepticism, Lakers head coach JJ Redick and All-Star center Anthony Davis are thoroughly impressed with Bronny’s progress.
After the Lakers’ preseason game against the Suns on October 6, Davis praised Bronny’s defensive intangibles and said he could see the rookie making an instant impact in the NBA.
JJ Redick discussed his strategy for the final offensive possession, shared his insights on the starting five’s first-half performance, and gave his thoughts on the moments when Bronny and LeBron played together on the court.
“He’s tough,” Davis said, via ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne. “Obviously, he’s defensive-minded. Some great blocks, Game 1. The physicality. He gets over on screens, good with his hands as far as deflection and steals. But he’s also still learning. He’s still trying to figure everything out, so we have to realize that. He’s still a rookie — and this is a different style of basketball in the league. But I like what I’m seeing from him, on both ends of the floor, especially defensively.”
Redick said that he had seen Bronny develop leaps and bounds from when the Lakers drafted him in June to the start of training camp in October.
“Bronny’s such a great kid and he’s a pleasure to be around,” Redick said.
LeBron James. Bronny James.
The father-son duo share the court for the first time together! 👏
The preseason affair also marked the first time that Bronny and his father shared the court together for the first time. While Bronny went scoreless in the game, he showed flashes of his defensive versatility with three blocks.
The 20-year-old will get many more opportunities to prove his worth during the 2024-25 season, and perhaps prove a lot of his detractors wrong.
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Bronny James ‘Set Up For Failure’: NBA Scout on Lakers Rookie