Deuce McBride Listed as a Comp for Bronny James

The son of the world's best basketball player is being compared to a former Mountaineer.

The 2024 NBA Draft is a pretty weak class overall, especially compared to last year's group headlined by Victor Wembanyama and Brandon Miller. Some around the NBA believe this is one of the weakest drafts since the turn of the century. What this class does have, though, is the son of one of the game's greatest players, LeBron James.

Bronny James entered the NBA Draft after spending just one year at USC where he played in an extremely limited role averaging 4.8 points in 19.3 minutes per game, primarily off the bench. James entered the transfer portal at the end of the season while also declaring for the draft. USC will have a new head coach in place, but James never felt like a true fit with the Trojans in the previous regime which is partially why scouts at the next level still believe he can be a draftable player this summer.

Last week, Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report listed five NBA players that are comparable to Bronny James, one being former West Virginia Mountaineer Miles McBride.

"Prior to this season, Miles McBride earned most of his minutes with his defensive effort. If James is going to get early playing time in the NBA, his foot speed, IQ and strength guarding opposing teams' ball-handlers will be what gets him on the floor.

"It wasn't until McBride's third season that he became a regular role player for New York. His 41.0 percent three-point shooting was a big reason why. McBride turned into a consistent shotmaker off the catch and dribble.

"Though James did not shoot well at USC, there is plenty of optimism around his mechanics and range. He did make 43.8 percent of his pull-ups in college.

"McBride has had to transition to more of an off-ball role (34.8 percent of offense spotting up) in the NBA, which is rare for a 6'1" guard. James also measured 6'1.5", and without much explosion off the dribble, he'll likewise have to frequently play as an undersized 2-guard.

"McBride doesn't always make the right reads as a facilitator, while James shows higher IQ as a passer. But neither ultimately project as lead guards for different reasons."

Sure, James may have some potential but he's no where near the player McBride was coming out of college. That's not to say he can't eventually produce similarly at the next level, but he has a long road ahead before even being in the same ballpark.

The other comps for James that Wasserman listed were Quentin Grimes, Gary Harris, De'Anthony Melton, and Davion Mitchell.

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