NBA Analyst Claims Lakers Do Not Believe Bronny James Is NBA Ready Despite Drafting Him

Bronny James‘ entry into the NBA, as one of the latest Los Angeles Lakers draft picks, continues to fuel controversies. Recently, Ryan McDonough has taken things up a notch with his dubious remarks on the youngster. During the latest SiriusXM NBA Radio episode, the 43-year-old candidly called Bronny unprepared for the NBA.

For most of the campaign, the NBA analyst expected the 19-year-old to spend more time with the Lakers’ G League side, the South Bay Lakers. Outlining the reasons behind his beliefs, the analyst declared,

“I don’t think anybody feels that Bronny James is a ready-made player at this point…I think he’ll spend a lot of time with the South Bay Lakers…and work on his game. He had an interrupted season with a cardiac incident this year at USC. Came off the bench for most of the games…He needs to develop his shooting in particular and just get experience and reps”.

The statement conveyed the harsh truth. Following a lackluster freshman year with the USC Trojans, everyone expected Bronny to spend more time in college to work on his craft. Yet, the Ohio-born took the bold step of entering the draft, shocking the NBA community.

Shortly after, the rumors circled that the Lakers were destined to select him to retain its talisman and Bronny’s father, LeBron James. It was also King James’ desire to play along with his son. In an interview with ESPN, the Lakers star had mentioned,

“I need to be on the floor with my boy, I got to be on the floor with Bronny.” 

This led to several interpreting that the latter’s influence around the league paved the way for the teenager’s entry into the franchise roster. It consequently devalued the youngster’s prowess as a player, bringing the negative spotlight onto him. To summarize, Bronny will need an ample amount of time to develop. However, the newest Lakers recruit seems up for the challenges.

Bronny James was waiting for a chance to prove himself

While the controversies surrounding Bronny diminished his reputation, the teenager remained focused on achieving success. So, when HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto asked him about the possibility of sharing the NBA floor with his father, the 19-year-old responded,

“When I get there, I don’t think it would be just like me and my dad. I would be happy about getting to the league instead of me thinking about playing with my dad. That’s not my mindset right now at all. I’m just trying to put in the work and see where it takes me from there”.

This undoubtedly impressed the Lakers fans, making them dream about the possibility of a prosperous future. However, this end goal remains far-fetched at this stage, as Bronny needs to take baby steps towards success first.