Lakers News: Rival Execs Think LA Shouldn't Have Drafted Bronny James

John Robinson | Oct 13, 2024

Oct 10, 2024; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Bronny James (9) drives against Milwaukee Bucks guard Ryan Rollins (13) in the second half at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Michael McLoone-Imagn Images / Michael McLoone-Imagn Images

The most polarizing pick in the 2024 NBA Draft was the Los Angeles Lakers selection of Bronny James. The son of LeBron James has been under the largest microscope from the time he was an seventh grader playing for the Blue Chips AAU program.

As the son of whom some consider the greatest basketball player of all time, there were always going to be unfair expectations placed on Bronny. When Bronny was drafted by the Lakers with the 55th overall pick, several fans and media correspondents had mixed opinions on the point guard out of USC.

There were those who took to social media to point out nepotism as the reason why Bronny was drafted despite him being a former McDonald's All-American or the fact that he had a really impressive showing against his peers at the NBA draft combine. Bronny had a delayed start to his one-and-done season at USC due to a cardiac arrest that sidelined him from training camp to the start of the 2023 college basketball season.

Despite all these factors, there are those in NBA spaces who still believe that the Lakers' decision to draft Bronny was a mistake. In an ESPN article, an undisclosed Eastern Conference executive commented on why he believed that the Lakers should not have drafted Bronny and that LeBron James was setting up his son for failure.

"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."

"You're set up for failure," one Eastern Conference scout who has evaluated Bronny for years said. "It's like, what's the expectation here?"

There has never been a 55th overall selection in NBA history that has been scrutinized like Bronny James. When Los Angeles selected Bronny there was a clear expectation that he would be developed by the coaching staff. Unfortunately, the goalpost for Bronny is a lot different than most due to his pedigree, despite the hurdles he has toppled in order to be in a position to play in the NBA.

These opinionated scouts and executives talk about Bronny like he was expected to be a franchise cornerstone type of player when he was always evaluated as a role player in the league.

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