Published30. June 2024, 12:08
Basketball: What is Bronny James, his father’s new teammate in the NBA, worth?
LeBron James’ son will play with his father next season at the Los Angeles Lakers. An accomplishment that he owes not only to the piston.
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Bronny James averaged 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 25 games this season, the only one of his college career.
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He is perhaps the most talked about name in the draft this year. Bronny James (19 years old) was only chosen in 55th position, in other words in the depths. Any other player would have been doomed to anonymity. Not him. Because his vintage, whose general level arouses little enthusiasm, does not contain any generational talent like Victor Wembanyama or Zion Williamson in previous years; because he was selected by the Los Angeles Lakers, a legendary and overhyped franchise; and, above all, because he is the son of LeBron James. The latter, already the best scorer in NBA history, crowned four-time champion and MVP, is preparing to write another page to his legend: still performing as well at 39 years old, he will play alongside his offspring this season next. An unprecedented case.
It’s hard not to see in Bronny James’ accomplishment that of his glorious father. It is even said that Rich Paul, LeBron James’ agent, threatened teams likely to draft the son in order to dissuade them. Bringing together at the highest level one of – if not the – greatest basketball players of all time and his son was in the direction of history, and it doesn’t matter if this occurrence appears a bit forced. “Without such a father, Bronny would not be in the NBA,” says Emmanuel Le Nevé, editor for the Envergure site, specializing in prospecting young prospects.
Progress halted at university
If he benefited from a little help to climb the ladder, Bronny James now has a whole career to build and he will not be able to hide behind his name. That being said, summarizing his rise as a piston would be extremely simplistic. It would also be disrespectful to his qualities. In addition to following him on screen, Emmanuel Le Nevé attended one of his matches in person in 2022, in the Paris suburbs. Bronny James, 17 at the time, was playing in high school. Our interlocutor remembers a “very physically strong guy, strong defender, able to attack the basket easily”, as well as a so-called “all-around” player, comfortable in most aspects of the game: “He was aggressive on the rebound and good at distributing the ball.”
At the time, Bronny James was considered one of the most promising American prospects. His progress stalled after he arrived at university, causing his stock to plummet. “He didn’t improve since high school,” says Emmanuel Le Nevé. “The adversity was on another level and he couldn’t get to the basket as easily. He didn’t become as dominant as expected.”
A deficit in size and address
His trajectory was also disrupted by a cardiac arrest suffered in the summer of 2023, which deprived him of several months of competition. Thus, his only university season was limited to 25 matches, including six as a starter, for a light record: 4.8 points on average with 2.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists. Above all, it is his shooting percentages that are a concern: 36.6%, 26.7% on three-pointers and 67.6% on free throws. “In an NBA where shooting is essential, his lack of skill is a real problem,” worries the Envergure editor. Like his height (1.87 m), which raises concerns about his defensive contribution.
“In a competitive team like the Lakers, he can’t have a short-term impact.”
Emmanuel Le Nevé, editor for the Envergure website
All this makes Emmanuel Le Nevé say that Bronny James “should have stayed a year or two more in college” before planning on the NBA. Where he will have to work hard to find his role: “He has interesting qualities but his lack of size and shooting skills complicate things. He is not big enough to play the forward or power forward position. He could be a point guard or a guard, but is he able to be the first option to organize his team’s offenses? He will have minutes because he is the son of LeBron James but he is promised limited playing time. In a competitive team like the Lakers, he cannot have an impact in the short term. Maybe in two years, possibly.”
Will the ruthless and impatient NBA world wait until then?
2024-06-30 13:47:28
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