Bronny James

Bronny James was never the one-and-done lottery pick that some narratives suggested out of high school. Instead, he was a strong and athletic combo-guard who was viewed as a good three-point shooter, unselfish ball-mover, quality passer, and willing defender.

This year at USC, he failed to live up to even the most conservation projections as he averaged 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists in 19.4 minutes per game while shooting just 36.6% from the floor, 26.7% from three, and 67.6% from the free-throw line. Of course, this came after suffering cardiac arrest over the summer, and while he was fully cleared to return athletically, we don’t know the extent to which that absence impacted him.

Defensively, he was advanced for a freshman, showing an ability to both pressure the ball and contain opposing scoring guards. Offensively, he’s really never been a dynamic creator in a half-court setting (he can explode when he gets loose in transition though), so the key variable to unlocking more individual offense is the progression of his shooting. He certainly has the potential to e a more effective shot-maker then we saw this season and that would open up a lot of other options for him including attacking close-outs and being more of a threat out of ball-screens.

Overall, Bronny remains someone with a well-rounded and balanced game who can impact winning, but who has yet to show, at any level, that he can be consistently dynamic.

Bronny James is a strong-bodied combo-guard with a well-rounded game. As the eldest son of LeBron James, his every move has been under a magnifying glass since before he played his first high school game. To his credit, that has never stopped him from playing the right way. In fact, Bronny’s best attribute may be his understanding of how to impact the game without dominating the ball or forcing bad shots. He’s unselfish, a more than willing passer, and engaged defender. The best part of his individual offense is his ability to shoot the ball from long-range. He has good mechanics and consistently knocks down open rhythm threes. As a playmaker, we still haven’t seen him develop into much of a half-court creator, but he’s capable of being explosive in transition. He can get downhill with the ball, has the strong frame to absorb contact, and is a good vertical athlete at the rim with mid-air body control to match. He can play both with and without the basketball, but is more naturally suited off the ball at this point. Overall, Bronny may not always be the spectacular talent that some assume from the namesake of the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, but he is a well-rounded two-way player with a mature floor-game.

More Evaluations

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• Evaluated 02/24/2020 Evan Daniels Director of Basketball Recruiting Read