it's fucked up, cuz on one hand I know he's only in high school and he's carrying the burden of being Lebron James son. So like we really shouldn't be criticizing HIM. To an extant I even feel a guilt in criticizing Bronny as a player.

But I am allowed to criticize the Bron-manufactured hype around his son though right? Cause I'm sitting here watching this "NY vs California" game and just struck by how unremarkable Bronny is. And that would be totally fine if there wasn't a persistent drumbeat to make the kid something he isn't. There's a campaign behind Bronny James that, based on basketball alone, he doesn't deserve. The SI cover story, the drawn out recruiting tour ... it's like Lebron is trying to will something into existence that just isn't there. I mean am I super off-base saying Bronny's profile is probably more outsized than Wembanyama's? At least to more casual sports fans? And that's largely his dad's doing.

I guess I'm struggling with how to evaluate a kid who looks like a 3-star but is being heralded like a 5, but that Lebron is doing more harm than good here. Being Lebron's son is hard enough, being so loudly and undeservedly marketed by Lebron is downright unfair. Am I out of bounds?

Coaches say LeBron wants his son to be treated like an ordinary recruit and they say the James family has been nothing but fantastic to deal with – “as low maintenance as a megastar can be,’’ one says. Savannah James, Bronny’s mother, takes point on most of the recruiting, though LeBron and longtime business partner, Maverick Carter, are involved and have fielded calls. Coaches believe LeBron longs for Bronny to be coached, and coached properly, and that LeBron understands where his son falls in terms of talent.

The disconnect lies in the nine words LeBron shared with The Athletic’s Jason Lloyd in February: “My last year will be played with my son.’’

“That just complicated everything,’’ a coach says. It created both a timetable and a goal. LeBron is 37, and his contract with the Lakers runs through 2023-24 (with a one-year player option) — or exactly when Bronny finishes his first year of college and becomes draft-eligible. No one thinks Bronny is a one-and-done player, nor does his current recruiting ranking project him as one. Only one college freshman selected in last year’s NBA Draft ranked below 23rd as a high school prospect — Baylor’s Jeremy Sochan, who played high school ball in Europe because of COVID.

Most coaches and scouts who spoke to The Athletic say Bronny might not be NBA-ready after two or even three years. He might develop into an NBA player, but the consensus is that it will take time. They say he needs reps against other high-caliber players to succeed, to fail, to adjust, to grow. That was how Jalen Brunson (Villanova), Corey Kispert (Gonzaga), Malcolm Brogdon (Virginia), Ochai Agbaji (Kansas) and many others got to the NBA, but they question whether that pathway would sit well with Bronny and his family.

“Whether he scores four points or 40, it’s going to be talked about the next morning on First Take," says one coach. “Not if your team won, but how Bronny played."

“If you play him 30 minutes and then you don’t win, what are you doing? But if you play him eight minutes and you do win, are people going to think you’re an ass— for not playing LeBron’s kid?”

College coaches often wax eloquent about their roles as paternal figures, about development, mentoring. But they are concerned primarily about winning. About keeping their jobs. And their assessment of the Bronny dilemma is cast in that light. If they thought he gave them the best chance to win, they would embrace him and all the hoopla that comes with him.

Their hesitation, if not downright reluctance, says it all.

“You have to have that conversation: Do we want this?" one coach says. “Do we want this attention? This pressure? Yeah, you’re going to sell a lot of tickets, but it’s a lot to manage.”

>The disconnect lies in the nine words LeBron shared with The
>Athletic’s Jason Lloyd in February: “My last year will be
>played with my son.’’
>

Besides the issues this causes in creating expectations for Bronny’s development and opening up the possibility of a team drafting Bronny JUST to get Bron for a year, I have to ask… was Bron considering what Bronny wants in that moment? Probably not, right?

I'd want my wife to do the same. You gotta impress Moms/Grandmothers first and foremost


But yeah the coach hit it on the head that Bron complicated the situation with his comment about playing together

He’s got really nice tools that can absolutely be developed in the right program into making him a viable NBA prospect. But if you don’t think he’ll be there long enough for you to benefit from that development, because he’s not a guy projected to be more than a bench 15 MPG guy at a high major level his freshman year, then why bother with the public scrutiny?

He'll be a solid addition to a college program but not a star.
This shit here though .. it's a circus. I don't know where to begin.

>This shit here though .. it's a circus. I don't know where to
>begin.

funny you bring this up because i was just listening to a pod about Vic today, and his impressions on social media are roughly the same as Steph Curry, so...there's that part.

then, if you're talking his profile as a recruit? Webmanyama is the best NBA prospect since Lebron. Bronny is like...gonna be a solid to good college player probably and potentially an NBA player?

so yeah, not really the same at all.

obviously Wemby is a generational talent, but my read is that pedestrian high school player Bronny James is MORE hyped at a mainstream/casual interest fan level. No one thinks Bronny is better than Wemby of course, but he's probably a more FAMOUS player which is even astounding.

that for a couple years, some say the younger brother may be better. I say let them kids live. I'm not big on rating hs(and younger) players because a lot of factors go into play and things can change fast

Bronny is the epitome of mid. It’s levels

.

We got folks who take this shit SERIOUSLY.

>We got folks who take this shit SERIOUSLY.

Same role that got him to last in the league.

Would have their career accomplishments dwarfed by ONLY having had 1 All Defensive first team and 1 All Defensive second team selection.

Like, Avery Bradley isn't the bum you're thinking he is. He had a fine little career for a 19th pick.

Bronny getting picked in the first round, let alone 19th, would be a stretch at the moment.

unexpected.
I’ve watched a number of really good hs players go to Texas have an ok year being a shooter and defender and then end up in the league for a full career
Cory Joseph, Avery Bradley, Daniel Gibson, DJ Augustine …
I don’t see why Bronny James doesn’t have 3 and D skills

He's a good shooter, and he works hard on defense. He's not the biggest guy yet, but the frame is there, and I think if a team wants to gamble on him continuing to grow another couple inches, that's a fairly reasonable projection.

I think, because he's shown himself to be a high IQ passer and not the most aggressive guy on Earth with his offense, he should try hard to develop PG skills. He's kind of playing more combo/off-ball in HS, and he definitely needs to grow to 6'5 or so for that to reasonably work-- and he needs to work on his aggression with his offense. But he processes the game really well, he passes well, he defends well, he makes open 3s, he has good pedigree... like, he has what I want in a PG, tbh.

So I think the skills are there. He just needs time-- time to figure out his position, time for his body to continue to develop/fill out, time to get to NBA-level good (which he isn't right now) vs. immediate-college-contributor good (which I believe he is).

Good athleticism, good strength for his size, good shooter, good passer, hard worker on defense. Definitely projects as a kid who can shoot 3s well at the next level, projects as a winning player-- and might even be someone who can learn to play point with some development, which, if he can play point, he's got ideal size for the position.

It's just going to take time. And yeah, I'm definitely concerned it's time he won't be given.

(I’m sure there are 4 year role players all over NBA benches)

It seems like if a kid doesn’t declare after his sophomore season , it’s looked at as a negative in terms of his NBA prospects and pretty much written off as an “overseas” player


>Good athleticism, good strength for his size, good shooter,
>good passer, hard worker on defense. Definitely projects as a
>kid who can shoot 3s well at the next level, projects as a
>winning player-- and might even be someone who can learn to
>play point with some development, which, if he can play point,
>he's got ideal size for the position.
>
>It's just going to take time. And yeah, I'm definitely
>concerned it's time he won't be given.

I think dame is the only one out of that bunch

as a underclassmen he's not going to stick around for year 3 or 4. Most coaches are going to tell them to leave. The money is too big. I remember almost 30 years ago it was considered at the time somewhat controversial when MJ came out after his junior year.

>It seems like if a kid doesn’t declare after his sophomore season , it’s looked at as a negative in terms of his NBA prospects and pretty much written off as an “overseas” player

I don't think that's true. I think if you don't declare as an underclassman, then yes, your upside appears limited. But you can still possess a *lot* of value as a starter-quality player in the NBA if you showcase enough skill in college and have the requisite size/athleticism to compete-- and even if very few upperclassmen get taken in the lottery these days, NBA teams have certainly found some sneaky upperclassmen upside in the late first/early second, guys like Desmond Bane, Jalen Brunson, etc.

So I think Bronny, while he doesn't strike me as ever being a lottery pick kinda dude, could absolutely be in that late first/early second tier if he shows his game at the college level for a couple of years and lets teams know "hey, I improve every year, and I've got enough versatility, IQ, and pedigree to help you win."

That still may not be good enough for some-- but it'd be good enough to have a long term career in the NBA and make a lot of money. (Plus he could clean up on NIL deals in college, obviously-- especially if he stayed a couple seasons.) If he goes after one season, I'm really concerned he just ends up as a guy who's immediately shelved into the G-League the second his dad retires, and he won't have built up his game enough to sustain.

bryce got brons height but doesnt look to have the same physical coordination to go along with it.

a lot of people are saying bryce will go on to be a better player than bronny. but i think bronny will be the more athletic and more well rounded of the two.

This thread made me look up the rankings on 247, and I see Carlos Boozer's twin sons are both in the top 25 for 2025 and one is the No. 1 overall player in the class.

like, you typed all that out over some shit you cant control? lol ok

>like, you typed all that out over some shit you cant control?
>lol ok

Like, you typed all that out too? “lol”

IMHO

even when they were young I thought that if he had the size he had more potential


www.engadgethd.com - the other stuff i'm looking at

Because whomever drafts Bronny gets Bron as part of the package.

Hence the hype.

he’ll probably be an undrafted free agent and he and his dad can go anywhere that they so choose

Like, assuming they aren't worried about his development and are committed to him being a one-and-done? Then yeah, if he goes undrafted, they can 100% get him wherever Bron is. Cuz if Bron's still a Laker, who knows if they'll even have a draft pick in the second by the time that draft comes around anyway.

I *really* don't think some random team will draft Bronny and give him a rookie scale deal on the *hope* that Bron will drop his situation to go play with Bronny in, like, Indiana or wherever, lol. Feels like a wasted pick and a waste of time.

now. Too lucrative.



http://art-------school.com/

https://ibb.co/k4m6n8C

I assume it would be even easier to move year 21 with lesser expectations from him as a player.


http://art-------school.com/

https://ibb.co/k4m6n8C

But I like his jump,er size, speed and feel. He isn't a superstar, but he is a pro.


http://art-------school.com/

https://ibb.co/k4m6n8C

Like, Caleb Foster absolutely should've made it over Bronny. I know I'm a Duke guy and I'm biased, but c'mon, lol.

Maybe if, like 6-8 HS five-stars were injured, I could buy it. I don't think he's *insanely* far away from being a five star himself at this point. But yeah, this was a "get Bron to the game" move.

He is going to need college or the G League Elite.
We'll see how he does.
If he continues to work and his game continues on an upward trajectory,
I think he'll be able to run an NBA offense and be a good defender on the other end. He can catch and shoot and a willing passer.
He isn't one of these kids that thinks they are the entire team.
You never saw anything on social media from him about playing time and he didn't turn into a prima donna once handed keys for his senior year.
By all accounts, he's a good kid with a strong work ethic and a team player.

If he maxes out his talent, I think his comp is a more athletic Jrue Holiday.

that escalated quickly.

people were just debating whether he even deserved a mcdonalds all american spot.

heres their current top 10 draft board:
https://twitter.com/espn/status/1628416835329597441


https://twitter.com/DraftExpress/status/1628401930316701698
-----
Bronny James is now a projected top-10 pick thanks to the significant jump he's made at Sierra Canyon, developing into arguably the best perimeter defender in his class while making strides with his shooting and playmaking . Full 2024 mock draft on ESPN:
https://www.espn.com/nba/insider/story/_/id/35707557/2024-nba-mock-draft-why-bronny-james-projected-top-10-pick
-----

where they had him as the 27th ranked college recruit, and ESPN has him 28th.

so, espn having him as a top 10 lottery pick seems odd. i realize college recruit and draft pick aren't the same thing, but it does seem weird.

funniest thing is: if they have him that high, you'd think they'd revise their own college recruit rankings to at least make it make more sense.

SEO team on cruise control
I need to see them numbers that got this Bronny train the greenlight

Essentially the case would boil down to: do you actually think he's the best perimeter defender in the class? He's a good outside shooter and good passer, so if you think he can be an elite lockdown 1 through 3 type of dude in the NBA-- which is a big ask, but if you *actually* believe that-- then he becomes a guy who projects as an eventual NBA starter and a valuable guy who contributes to winning. Versatile, athletic guys on the perimeter who can pass, defend, and catch-and-shoot are really, really valuable.

If he goes to college and does, like, Avery Bradley numbers? Something like 11-3-3 with good 3-point shooting and defense? I could see him being a lottery guy-- especially since people seem to be low on that HS class in general.

I'm personally not *entirely* sold on the one-and-done angle-- and Givony's obviously playing an angle for eyeballs here, regardless of whether he actually believes Bronny's a Top 10 kid or not (I suspect he probably thinks Bronny's on a similar tier to a number of other players in terms of NBA positional desirability, and he thought, "Fuck it, get them eyeballs and do the King a favor"). It's also a no-lose situation for him, because if Bronny actually balls out in college-- or even has a decent OAD-based-on-potential type of season-- then Givony can play the "see? I was first to the table!" card. And if Bronny struggles, Givony can play the "well, considering how he struggled this year, the projection obviously has changed" card, lol. It's just really painless work taking a flier on a mock draft this early on-- especially a flier that will generate clicks.

I just think that first year in college might be tough on Bronny, and considering I expect a decent number of this year's class to return for NIL, I think even if he *does* play well enough to be a OAD based on position and potential, Top 10 is a *really* big ask. Top 30? Certainly conceivable if the season goes well imo. But that's a big if.

(Also worth noting that Bronny definitely has shown enough this year that I'd say he's a *high* four-star player in this class. Like, a Top 30 dude in his class. So I no longer believe it's an absolute *given* that he'll be multi-year-- I just think it'd help his draft stock immensely if he can prove that he can run the point at an NBA level, something he hasn't really done at all in HS. And he's going to have a *massive* target on his back Year 1 in college. We'll see what he can do.)

do we have an idea of where he's going to play college ball at?

*IS* he going to play college ball, or could he go to the G-League, etc?

Oregon's got ties to Nike, a strong freshman class coming in, and available backcourt minutes. (I also think Altman's a better coach than Enfield.)

USC is hometown, they should bring back some considerable front court talent, and he and Isaiah Collier would be a pretty great (albeit young) backcourt.

USC probably has higher upside next season, but also probably has a less obvious immediate path to minutes than Oregon. Tough call imo. Wouldn't be surprised if he just waits til this summer to see who leaves, how the transfer portal looks, etc.

>Oregon's got ties to Nike, a strong freshman class coming in,
>and available backcourt minutes. (I also think Altman's a
>better coach than Enfield.)
>
>USC is hometown, they should bring back some considerable
>front court talent, and he and Isaiah Collier would be a
>pretty great (albeit young) backcourt.
>
>USC probably has higher upside next season, but also probably
>has a less obvious immediate path to minutes than Oregon.
>Tough call imo. Wouldn't be surprised if he just waits til
>this summer to see who leaves, how the transfer portal looks,
>etc.

if he shows that he can shoot well enough that people think he projects as a shooter, I could see him going that high easily, just think about some of the guards who have been drafted in the 8 - 20 range and whether or not they really look better than what we've seen from him so far.

I think if he doesn't seem to project as a shooter he'd be lower / undrafted, but it's not an entirely ridiculous chance


www.engadgethd.com - the other stuff i'm looking at

He is good. Has a good IQ...good athlete..shoots it well...defends well.


Top 30 in the country is a reach. We know what it is and thats fine. Bron has the pull to get him drafted, which will happen(See Giannis' bros) but sticking is gonna be tough for him unless he gets a specialty.

..I thought this might be the case, but you clearly know how to evaluate NBA prospects better than most. *That Antetokoumpo family comparison makes perfect sense.


*skatin' the rings of saturn*


..and miles to go before i sleep...

I repeat he is very good.

>He is good. Has a good IQ...good athlete..shoots it
>well...defends well.


From what I’ve seen he’s off the charts athletic, NBA upper tier athlete, especially in terms of vertical and lateral quickness. Then add IQ, and shoots it well, and already bought in on defense? So what’s missing to make him a first rounder??

like, is he that much off of say, James bouknight ? (I'm legitimately asking, I don't usually look at players predraft that much)

https://www.peachtreehoops.com/2021/7/28/22596215/2021-nba-draft-scouting-report-james-bouknight-analysis-video-breakdown-fit-atlanta-hawks-news-rumor

and he went 11?


www.engadgethd.com - the other stuff i'm looking at

... and they'd respond to your post with "James Bouknight did 19 and 6 as a sophomore at UConn" which is fair...

... but to your point, versatile wing guys will always be commodities in the NBA Draft process. So I don't think it's crazy to suggest after a year of college that he *could* go lottery.

I think it's a stretch today, because he's only 6'3-6'4 if memory serves, and, unlike Bouknight, he's not really a shot creator at volume, he's more of a 3-and-D guy... but tbh, 3-and-D guys are even *more* valuable than shot creators today!

So if you think he's closer to 6'4-6'5 after next year (certainly possible), and you think he will shoot and defend next year at a high level (definitely possible), and you see how weak the overall class is (true)... then I can see why people might think he can get there, name notwithstanding. I'd put him as a more realistic end-of-first kinda dude based on HS tape and potential... but hey, not impossible.

but the argument that he could be is plausible, although I did note as you mentioned, once I looked up bouknight and a couple others in that range, I think they're all taller than him

he'll have to show a LOT as a playmaking guard to be a prospect at that level and measure well, but not impossible

www.engadgethd.com - the other stuff i'm looking at

Even if he doesn't, I'd imagine he'll have similar measurables to someone like Avery Bradley. If his 3-and-D game shows the promise that Bradley's did at Texas, they could take a first round flier regardless, in theory.

https://twitter.com/KingJames/status/1632965108069699584

https://twitter.com/On3Recruits/status/1633137968163569672

interesting timing to say the least.

ima feel bad for lil dude if the wheels are really being greased behind the scenes for him and his pops is building up all this pressure...only for him to flop on the court.

247 has him at 34, Rivals has him at 43.

He's going up these rankings, and that has to do in large part with his play, which is absolutely improving in noteworthy ways that make him a far more realistic candidate to actually earn real playing time as a freshman even in high-major basketball.

But Shaw whores for clicks more than anyone. Him being the first major HS outlet to leap at the chance to hype James beyond where he probably belongs makes sense.

I think he should probably be Top 30 by this summer, and if you wanted to make him a 5 star at the tail end of the 5 stars, I'd understand. But Top 10 is... yeah, for clicks.

Dropped 28 en route to a rout of Sierra Canyon. Bronny had... 10. Not great!

Good IQ too.

Like... he's a real prospect. Wouldn't put him top 10... but I don't think it's insane to look at him and say "yeah, he can play at a higher level."

I don’t think so.

to make his own path.

His father never went to college, so he would be doing something that his father never
did, so there would be no comparisons in that situation.

The family is worth close to a billion dollars, so he doesn’t need money, and he already
has fame.

To go to a college like UCLA or OSU, and lead them to a title or to create a collegiate
legacy, would put him on a level separate from his father.

he could do the overseas thing too but that’s not as hyped as it one was

He has yet to claim a school…which is crazy.

By this time players know where they want to go and have given
some form of commitment.

But the G league is also being tossed around because of the marketing
aspect of it of course- generating more attendance and viewers…
So that could be a whole new form of revenue generation and change
the future of the league.


Dude had over 8 million followers tuning in on his high school games.
Shitt. I don’t even think the G league does that for a full season.

https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/37528265/bronny-james-no-19-prospect-2023-verbally-commits-usc


GOod for him, with Ohio State basketball in the graveyard, and Oregon being in the PAC NW (even though Dana Altman is an amazing coach), it was pretty obvious all along.


I wonder if hes a one or two year project though



>school and he's carrying the burden of being Lebron James son.
>So like we really shouldn't be criticizing HIM. To an extant I
>even feel a guilt in criticizing Bronny as a player.
>
>But I am allowed to criticize the Bron-manufactured hype
>around his son though right? Cause I'm sitting here watching
>this "NY vs California" game and just struck by how
>unremarkable Bronny is. And that would be totally fine if
>there wasn't a persistent drumbeat to make the kid something
>he isn't. There's a campaign behind Bronny James that, based
>on basketball alone, he doesn't deserve. The SI cover story,
>the drawn out recruiting tour ... it's like Lebron is trying
>to will something into existence that just isn't there. I mean
>am I super off-base saying Bronny's profile is probably more
>outsized than Wembanyama's? At least to more casual sports
>fans? And that's largely his dad's doing.
>
>I guess I'm struggling with how to evaluate a kid who looks
>like a 3-star but is being heralded like a 5, but that Lebron
>is doing more harm than good here. Being Lebron's son is hard
>enough, being so loudly and undeservedly marketed by Lebron is
>downright unfair. Am I out of bounds?