Los Angeles Lakers star rookie Bronny James has been talked about incessantly throughout his basketball career. The latest criticism on his game — that he may not be ready for the NBA ranks — has been met with blowback and further speculation about how his career will take shape from its onset.
Lakers: Bronny James’ agent Rich Paul passionately defended his desire to be great
As ESPN senior writer Baxter Holmes reported, James’ agent Rich Paul came out and said this about his client’s desire to carve out a fruitful role for himself on the Lakers and be the best NBA player he can be:
“Bronny is serious,” Paul said. “This isn’t a f—ing game for him. He wants to play in the NBA, and he wants to play well within his role.”
James has promise despite holes in his game
James came out of USC having shown a precocious talent for making the right reads on offense, finding open teammates, and finishing above the rim at only 6-2. However, many thought that the Ohio native was not ready to make the jump to the NBA just yet partly because of his inefficiency from outside, having sported a 26.7 percent three-point percentage in his freshman year in college.
League personnel do not endorse the Lakers drafting James at No. 55 overall in 2024
Despite his promise, sound capabilities on defense, and co-sign from one closest to him in his inner circle in Paul, skeptics still believe that James should have cultivated his game for another year with the Trojans, and that he’ll need to compensate for that lost time in the G League. Others have gone a step further, proclaiming that the 19-year-old is set up to fail in Los Angeles:
“The expectations for Bronny by the fan base and by LeBron and Rich Paul are not commensurate with the reality of his game,” one Eastern Conference executive said. “If they had any real idea of how far away Bronny is, they just would not have done this.”
As Holmes also shared, an Eastern Conference scout proclaimed that James will be “set up for failure,” which only further stresses the sentiments brewing around league circles.
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The positives and negatives surrounding James ahead of his rookie year
There are telltale signs that James is still wet behind the ears. Nevertheless, the Lakers seem to be behind their talented prospect. It is evident that he has the potential to be a valuable contributor to the league. Albeit, he may need to take time during the early juncture of his career to grease his wheels and refine parts of his game that need it.
The good thing is that he has an NBA-ready frame, IQ, and the luxury of having his father and Lakers superstar LeBron James to guide him through his professional journey.
There may not be much to expect from the rookie star from a statistical perspective, but it’ll be up to him to prove his skeptics wrong. A great way for him to start would be by asserting himself on defense and providing the team with exemplary hustle, as Lakers head coach JJ Redick likes out of his game and wants to see from him whenever his number is called.
