Bronny James is keeping his options open. LeBron James’ oldest son recently declared for the NBA Draft while simultaneously putting his name in the transfer portal. Many experts feel the 19-year-old isn’t ready yet, while some think he will be successful at the next level. However, according to NBA analyst Brian Windhorst, there are scouts who think the USC Trojans are to blame.
Windhorst explained what was going on at the Pat McAfee show.
“When I talk to scouts about Bronny, they don’t think that he was able to put his best foot forward this year because USC didn’t play him in his previous position. They have several NBA guard prospects and he played, sort of, in the wing.Â
They say he should play point guard, which is where he played and excelled at when he was in high school. And he obviously had that terrible health event that happened last summer and he was expected to go right into playing Pac-12 basketball with no real buildup.“
Brian Windhosrt on what NBA scouts supposedly think of Bronny James
While this statement is true to some degree, Trojans head coach Andy Enfield has played James Jr. as a point guard for good stretches out of necessity. Isaiah Collier missed six games because of hand surgery and Boogie Ellis also sat out for some time.
However, the younger James’ health debacle may have halted his momentum going into college. He collapsed on the court in late July last year and was rumored to quit basketball altogether if the doctors found it necessary for him to do so. Nevertheless, James Jr. came back and played in the season opener in November 2023.
Overall, the consensus is that the Sierra Canyon product must hone his skills first. NBA players such as Baron Davis and Stephon Marbury think he has the tools to make it work. However, it’s also a matter of putting everything together and that’s where Bronny still falls short.
