Bronny James is just another nepo baby // Ava Nicholas, Staff Writer
Bronny James is a talented basketball player, but talent in and of itself does not justify having an NBA roster spot, and his stats make it painfully clear that he simply is not ready for this level of competition. The only reason Bronny James was drafted to the NBA was because of his last name.
Bronny’s first-year season at USC was mediocre at best. In 25 games, he averaged 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game, shooting a lackluster 36.6% from the field and just 26.7% from three. These numbers aren’t similar to most NBA prospects. For comparison, Jared McCain — another young guard selected in the 2024 NBA Draft, but by the Philadelphia 76ers — averaged 14.3 points, 5 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game, shooting 41.4% from 3-point range.
Factoring in Bronny’s defensive potential and playmaking ability, nothing from his single season at USC screams “NBA-ready.” Few players with these numbers would find themselves in consideration for the G League, not to mention the NBA.
To his credit, Bronny did show promise in the G League, putting up averages of 13.4 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game and shooting 36.6% from the field while playing for the South Bay Lakers. But the G League is not the NBA — the level of competition is lower.
It’s been anything but a smooth transition for Bronny to the Lakers, and his performances in actual NBA games have been underwhelming. It’s not uncommon for young players to need time to adjust to the performance level of the NBA, but Bronny has barely seen any playing time, and that hasn’t gone unnoticed.
It’s impossible to ignore the elephant in the room — the fact that Bronny’s dad, four-time NBA champion and one of the best players ever to step onto the court, played a massive role in his draft selection. The Lakers knew that drafting Bronny would keep LeBron James happy and potentially influence his future with the team. There’s a zero percent chance that Bronny would get drafted if he had any last name on his jersey other than “James” with the same stats he has.
All that said, this is not to say Bronny doesn’t have serious potential. He has all the tools to become an elite NBA player one day. But not now.
For Bronny’s sake, he should go into the G League and build his skills further rather than start playing a role in the NBA that he is not entirely prepared for yet.
The “LeBron’s son” factor brings an intense amount of pressure, and his expectations are far too high. But that doesn’t change the fact that Bronny James isn’t ready for the NBA, and he’s only here because of who his daddy is.
Bronny James deserves a legitimate chance // Ari Meyer, Staff Writer
I thought that the Lakers selecting Lebron James Jr. with the No. 55 pick was a bad decision. It took a spot away from an athlete who put in effort for years to get to that point, just to not get selected by the second most successful franchise in NBA history.
Now, my mind has changed. From scoring 30 points in a G League game to scoring 5 points in an NBA game against the Washington Wizards, James has shown that he can bloom into a real NBA player.
With moves made by the Lakers to land phenom Luka Dončiċ, it seems like Bronny’s time in the NBA could become short-lived this season, but that does not exclude him from having the future of an NBA contributor.
He played at a much higher level than he previously showed at USC, and he has the opportunity to do something great with his talents.
He did get to the league off of his father’s coattails, but it seems as if he is inching closer to earning a roster spot in his own right.
He will never become as good as his dad is and likely will not come close. That said, to write him off this early seems a bit premature after what he has done in limited time thus far.