The much-anticipated freshman year of Bronny James came to a close. But the rising star’s NBA call-up doesn’t seem like a walk in the park. LeBron James had expressed his wish to play alongside his son multiple times and it eventually created anticipation for the NBA Draft 2024. The aspirations took a hit when James Jr. suffered a cardiac arrest, followed by an underwhelming run at USC. In the same vein, a recent report from ESPN has dropped its view on the 19-year-old’s draft positioning and it is not good.

ESPN compiled opinions of three NBA executives without revealing their identities and dropped their views on Bronny’s draft positioning. One of the execs said, “We would recommend Bronny go back to college.” All three executives, moreover, unanimously pointed out the youngster’s premature return to the court after the massive health scare. The executives highlighted the conservative nature of the medical staff in the league and their attitude towards heart conditions.

Apart from that, they also were critical of James Jr.’s abilities on the court. An exec said, “From a physicality point of view, he’s ready, but from a skill point of view… he could use more time in the gym developing. Another year at USC might put him in a position to have a more successful career than coming out now.”

Contrarily, another executive praised Bronny’s game, but at the same time criticized the functionality of the USC’s roster. He added that Bronny’s lack of practice in the off-season and his direct entry into the “weird team that wasn’t functioning” put him in a difficult situation.

However, the bottom line is, Bronny prematurely stepped on the court after his health scare without a strong preparation in the off-season. On top of it, the team’s functionality further restricted him from expanding his wings.

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Bronny James has already received huge praise for his selfless game on the court and for driving play. Let’s take a look at his Freshman year stats along with his high school stats.

Bronny James – High school and college stats

In his high school career, James Jr. emerged as the much-celebrated two-way player in the country. He backed his perimeter shooting, defense and playmaking ability with his insane athleticism. He averaged 14.2 points with 5.5 rebounds and 2.4 assists for Sierra Canyon. Unfortunately, he couldn’t get his team to win the state title as they lost against Notre Dame High School in the final.

While the rising star’s hype for college skyrocketed, it came down with his shocking health scare. After entering the college season without much practice in the off-season, he recorded an underwhelming average of 4.9 points with 2.9 rebounds and 2.2 assists.

Nevertheless, what do you make of Bronny’s future in the league? Will he make it to the NBA? Let us know in the comments.