Bronny James Scouting Report

After suffering a sudden cardiac arrest during team practice, James Jr.'s career came in jeopardy. But he fought back and will be available on draft night. What'll be his NBA role? Find out below.

Being an all-time great’s son raised expectations for James Jr. However, playing a different role than his father, it’s important to evaluate his game without the heaviness of his name. Entering his freshman year as a McDonald’s All-American, James Jr. suffered a sudden cardiac arrest during team practice. Thanks to timely action from the USC staff, his situation stabilized and led to James Jr. being cleared to play shortly after the season started.

He finished off his freshman campaign with 4.8 points on 36.6% shooting. The numbers don’t indicate success, nevertheless, James Jr showed promising flashes as a defender to mitigate some of the lack of production. It’s important to remember that NBA franchises combine production with the long-term potential they can get out of a player. This piece will focus on James Jr.’s role in the NBA and how he can develop into a good future rotational piece

Physical Profile

At 6’1.50”, James Jr. offers size that limits him to play a single position. However, with good mobility and fluid hips, his six-inch wingspan differential adds value to his profile. He inherited his father’s great feel for the game, which helps him to navigate through screens very well. James Jr. has good footwork, making his decent burst work to his advantage.

At 210 pounds, James Jr. has a strong frame with great upper-leg strength. He’s continuing to fill his frame, which makes it likely that an NBA strength and conditioning program will benefit him in the long run. James Jr. doesn’t have broad shoulders but has a well-filled chest helping him absorb contact when he needs to.

Offense

At 26.7% on 2.4 attempts per game, James Jr. was a below-average shooter this season. However, some positives make progress imminent. In the second play below, we see James Jr. using jab steps to bring his defender out of balance. He follows that up with a quick jumper. Combined with his high-arcing release, the importance of his 6’7.25” wingspan comes to display. \

In the NBA, the outcome of his three-point shooting will determine how many minutes he can play on an NBA floor, thus making it important to see past the efficiency in how the process will look to develop into an above-average shooter in the future.

An area of development is James Jr. lowering the ball to under his waist, having to power up for his jumper. In the third play below, we see an NBA-ranged three where he moves toward the pass, which is a positive. However, he follows it up by his jumper where he bends his knees far to launch for the jumper, despite having the strength to keep the ball high and release his shot instead. An NBA decision-maker could work on adjusting his jumper at the next level, banking on his high release point and fluid mechanics.

As an undersized guard, playing time is likely in a system where ball-heavy wings control the pace of the game. Therefore, the importance of his three-point shooting becomes what keeps him on the floor or not. Therefore, coming off screens or utilizing off-ball screens is what James Jr. will have to do to get his open three-point looks.

To maintain a team’s offensive rating, he’ll have to show that he can find his open looks to get his production. In the first play below, we see James Jr. in the corner, whereafter he recognizes the incoming pindown near the elbow, leading to him relocating to the elbow. Being able to read the game like this is a good sign of maturity he’ll show to NBA decision-makers. He follows it up by utilizing another pindown after being located in the low-post area. At over 200 pounds, USC used James Jr. as an interior piece at times, leading to him utilizing off-ball screens to get open looks on the perimeter.

What stood out was his hip mobility, quickly turning to his shooting motion after setting his pivot foot before the catch. In the last play below, we see James Jr. leveraging the threat of his cutting to get an open look at the elbow. His assignment lost his balance and hit the deck, leading to James Jr. going for it on the NBA-ranged three. However, utilizing the driving lane was the right play. An area of development for James Jr. is him lessening the amount of shots he’s taking up, and playing within the flow of an offense instead.

To earn more on-ball reps, James Jr. has to show his ability to serve as a connective passer. In terms of his feel for the game, it’s clear that his father taught him well. James Jr. is more than able to execute basic reads or keep the ball moving in a fluid system. Therefore, it’s feasible that a faster-paced NBA game will benefit his ability to execute passing reads.

In the first play below, James Jr. slows down his dribble after catching the ball in around the sideline. His slowing down his dribble when the ball screen comes in wins him an extra second in recognizing the defense positioning themselves far away from the basket. He follows it up with a bounce pass through the middle for the dunk at the rim. Another area that will benefit from the fact that he’s undersized is on the sideline or baseline out-of-bounds plays. James Jr. does well in using pass fakes to test defenses out. In the second play, he saw the play-finisher relocating far before the pass, using the fake to take attention away from his destination.

However, at 1.1 turnovers per game, James Jr. plays too safe at times. The lack of taking risk passes shows that he’s playing within control and not exceeding boundaries. That’s a positive when settling into a role. In terms of determining long-term potential, it’s challenging for NBA front offices. They are now forced to focus on how he’s processing how an offensive possession develops. In the third play below, James Jr. doesn’t force the interior pass, leading to a side pass instead. A disadvantage here is that teams that want to play fast need to get into a high-possession look as fast as they can. And James Jr. took a few seconds too much off the clock on this play.

The last play below shows a better example of how James Jr. will play in the NBA. As a ball-mover he quickly launches the entry pass, leading to the mid-post make. Due to his size, the idea of him as a point guard is what immediately comes to everyone’s mind. But it’s crucial to see beyond that and use his long wingspan, and strong frame to see a connecting guard instead. And that’s what an NBA team needs.

Offensive creativity is the base to earn more on-ball reps for James Jr. Therefore, he’ll have to show self-creation off the dribble when making plays out of closeouts. That’s an area of development for James Jr. and he has a habit of continuously bailing defenses out by taking tough midrange jumpers.

Two things stand out. With a jumper-heavy offensive diet, it’s a habit of his to go for jumpers instead of easy looks inside. This is a result of him playing in control instead of playing hard and taking the maximum on each play. The first play below is a prime example of the above-mentioned, as he passes on a wide-open driving lane to the rim to take a long midrange jumper instead.

In the second play, James Jr. shows a sign of aggressiveness to attack the closeout instead of taking the three. In a packed paint, it’s understandable to go for the runner, which is justified. In the third play, the shot-fake is another justifiable play before the midrange jumper. What stands out in him getting these looks despite teams knowing that he avoids the rim is his excellent footwork combined with his quickness.

James Jr. does well to use the fluidity of his hips to drive in separate directions without any issues. Using his pivot foot very well when picking up his dribble helps him to launch better fakes, as shown in the third play below. However, at an NBA level, James Jr. needs to be more aggressive in attacking the rim to develop his offensive creativity further. Therefore, NBA decision-makers must weigh in on his habit of midrange jumpers heavier and acknowledge that it’s a risk that will cost a team some of his offensive rating in the minutes that he’ll play in the early stages of his career.

Teams are reluctant to give rookies usage early on in their careers. Especially in shooting-heavy guards who need the ball to create their looks inside the arc. In James Jr.’s case, his creativity in the pick-and-roll will lead to him earning on-ball reps earlier than his peers if he’s showing signs of more aggressiveness. A positive is that he has shown this at the NBA Draft Combine, giving a whole other perspective to his 483 minutes at USC this season.

In the first two plays below, James Jr. goes for the pull-up jumpers just a few dribbles after utilizing the ball screen. The fluidity of his jumper opens up room to earn more of these looks in the future. His ability to pull up quickly despite his 200-plus-pound frame is how NBA shot-creators are to be recognized. However, it’s not likely that teams hand out these sets to him if he keeps firing from far away from the basket.

Therefore, the third play gives an NBA team more security to project an on-ball scorer in him. Which is a must if he wants to get drafted. Decelerating right after utilizing the screen followed by a fluid pull-up is exactly how high-end scorers operate in the NBA. However, despite the impressive make in the last play below, the red flag in James Jr.’s game becomes clear. He struggles to get by his man despite the ball screen and settles for a jumper instead.

Getting downhill on self-created looks is a must to stick in the league. An undersized play-finisher is not feasible for NBA teams, making offensive creativity the deciding factor for his NBA success. And that’s where James Jr.’s focus must be on at the next level.

Defense

James Jr. shows that he’s beyond his years in terms of his feel for the game in his defense against cutters. Every NBA defender gets beat on backdoor cuts from time to time. That’s always a part of the game. However, what makes the difference between a below-average defender and potentially a great defender is how they make up for mistakes.

In the first play below, James Jr. gets caught ball-watching, leading to his assignment launching the backdoor cut. His fluid hips are the reason for James Jr. getting the block at the rim, showing his excellent mobility and good verticality in meeting his man at the rim. That was a very good sequence where he shows NBA decision-makers he can handle the toughness of an NBA interior defense. He’ll likely be put in these situations due to the off-ball character of his role in a switch-heavy NBA game.

In the second play, James Jr. gambles on the deflection by staying at his position and not rotating after the pass hits the cutter. Despite it being a bad decision in general, it shows the self-confidence James Jr. has in his defense capabilities. In the last play below, we see an example of James Jr.’s excellent defensive awareness.

To start the play, he positions himself very well, avoiding a foot in the paint and keeping his man at 90 degrees from his position at all times. What makes James Jr. an elite prospect in terms of his awareness is his habit of keeping his defender within 90 degrees of his position by simply turning toward the middle but maintaining that he can launch to gamble on the deflection. Which he did to earn a look in transition.

Impacting passing lanes is often an overused term on players with plus-wingspans. James Jr. fits the bill, but the difference-maker among his peers is the execution of this play with the whole process making too much sense for a 19-year-old.

On the offensive end, James Jr. was playing in control more often than not. However, this shifts when he’s defending. When it comes to guarding spot-up shooters on the perimeter, he does well to use his long wingspan and quick jump to contest every shot as hard as he can. The first three plays below are examples of the above-mentioned.

The area of development for him is that he stands still to see if the shot goes in or not. This leads to him being out of position to collect a potential defensive rebound, thus making him a threat in giving up second-chance opportunities. If he’s already relocating to cross-court to cash in on quick transition looks, it’s justified. But in the first and third play below, he’s positioned out of the court after the miss. This is a crucial aspect NBA decision-makers need to add to his developmental plan.

The same intensity is visible when James Jr. is the closeout defender. What stands out is that he has a very strong last step, using his pivot foot very well to maintain his balance to slide his feet when his opponents attack him. In the first play below, James Jr. looks to lose the play against a quicker opponent, but he does well to leverage his strength in forcing his opponent to beat him off the dribble. This led to the heavily-contested midrange jumper. His boxing out strong to collect the defensive rebound is exactly what NBA teams look for to see further than the classic ‘undersized’ argument.

James Jr.’s strength and well-developed frame for his age is what gives him confidence when he’s closing out on defense. But avoiding personal fouls is what costs him too many points at the rim. In the second and third play below, we see James Jr. again leveraging his strength to force ball handlers to initiate contact. But he’s too reluctant in his execution in these two plays, leading to easy points at the rim. At 1.7 personal fouls in 19 minutes per game.

With only six games where he had three or more fouls, James Jr. takes all the value of his strength advantage away when playing so reluctant and in control on plays as these. The intensity and fire shown in the first play have to be visible on every defensive play against closeouts to succeed in the NBA.

For the longer term, being able to serve as a pick-and-roll defender is what’ll lead to James Jr. maintaining a team’s defensive rating or not. What stood out was his excellent screen navigation. He’s taking the maximum out of his efforts, as he has a great feeling to avoid screens instead of fighting through them. The second and third plays below are two examples.

What deserves credit in terms of playing beyond his years is his ability to see the incoming ball screen without losing sight of his assignment. This led to him meeting his opponent after getting by the screener. The pump fake on the third play looked bad on his part, but that’s the other side of the coin when not fighting through ball screens to keep the tag on his opponent at all times.

Another value-riser is the intensity in his defense, as shown in the second play. He meets his assignment from the midrange and forces the ball handler to get through him, leveraging his strength that results in the miss. On the other hand, in the first play, James Jr. made a good decision by not fouling but using his body to unbalance the finisher before he got the lay-up off.

The last play shows that James Jr. still needs some development when he’s forced to fight through screens. His mobility allows him to slide between the screener and the ball handler, but using tags on screeners more often will give him a cushion and space to launch and more effectively slide between both. An NBA decision-maker should make this a crucial part of his developmental plan, due to it being likely that NBA teams will try to target James Jr. in pick-and-roll sets.

NBA Draft Projection

It’s undeniable that being an all-time great’s son will help James Jr.’s draft stock. At least in terms of the value he has off the court. However, purely focusing on his NBA game, there's a solid role player in him in the long run. And those can go all the way in the first round.

As a defender, it’s crystal clear that the words of his father that he “can play right now” are justified. His screen navigation is a plus, despite some areas of development. But his strength, feel for the game and great off-ball defensive abilities against cutters make him an NBA-ready defender.

His offense makes it tricky. He’s a shooting-heavy prospect that avoids getting downhill and plays within control more often than not. Those don’t end up contributing well to a team’s offensive rating. Knowing that LeBron James will be a free agent this summer, it’s likely that he’ll sign a two-year deal on his next team if the Lakers don’t resign him. Therefore, it’s likely that a team will want to stay flexible in terms of adding James Jr.

His defensive value makes a late first-round pick justified. However, the lack of readiness in terms of his offense gives too much uncertainty to James Jr. needing more reps to unleash his offensive creativity. Especially since he avoids the rim as much as he does.

Therefore, I project James Jr. to be an early second-round pick on draft night, with the likeliness of having a long-term NBA career if his offensive game improves at the next level.