Considering the extent of media attention Bronny James has received due to being LeBron James’ son, high expectations have been consistently placed on his young shoulders. Now, having announced his move to USC, fans might end up expecting Bronny to follow his father’s footsteps and join the NBA quickly. However, it is not clear whether Bronny will be a one-and-done guy at USC, considering LeBron James is one of the best players of all time.
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James never played college basketball and joined the NBA draft directly. That option is no longer available to high school players, who have to spend at least one year in college before being eligible for the NBA draft.
Will Bronny James be a one-and-done man at USC?
A recent report by Athletic did a thorough check-up of Bronny James joining the NBA as soon as next year. While Bronny is not expected to be an elite or top NBA draft prospect, that is not a reflection of how good he can be.
According to an NBA scout who spoke with the Athletic, Bronny is a proper team player with good passing range and has gotten better across aspects in the last year or so.
Considering the kind of pressure that is put on him, chances are that Bronny needs more than a single year to end up in the NBA. While he will be eligible after finishing his freshman year for the 2024 NBA draft, the scout in question claimed that he is not an elite prospect:
“I don’t think he’s an elite prospect,” the scout said. “But I think he’s a good high-major prospect. … That doesn’t mean he won’t become a real good player.”
Bronny James not expected to join the NBA after freshman year
The fact that Bronny James does not look ready to join the NBA soon is not a reflection of his skills per se. College players are not expected to show the high levels of efficiency that NBA players are able to consistently show.
Furthermore, at the age of 18, there is a lot of physical and game development that Bronny James still had to undergo. A number of great NBA players in the past have proved to be late bloomers.
This includes the likes of Stephen Curry, Steven Nash, and even Bradley Beal, for one reason or another. None of the above players were considered elite prospects when they were college or high school players.
Furthermore, while Bronny needs to improve his shooting passing, physicality and basically his all-around game, he has shown a good trajectory in recent years. Furthermore, considering he is under the tutelage of none other than LeBron James, Bronny may still prove to be a top, top player, just like his father LeBron James.
