Executives praise LeBron James and Rich Paul for handling Bronny's NBA transition

There was no more polarizing pick in the 2024 NBA Draft than the Los Angeles Lakers' selection of Bronny James from the University of Southern California.

The former McDonald's All-American's college career was tumultuous as he suffered a cardiac arrest in the summer of 2023, which caused him to miss preseason training camp, which in turn delayed his start to the season. His successes in college were nothing to write home about, but how could anyone expect him to excel immediately given the circumstances he went through?

When Bronny announced he would enter the draft, several media correspondents expressed mixed reviews about his decision. Both scouts and executives rejected the idea of ​​Bronny becoming an NBA player, believing he was not ready to take the plunge, even though the association is known to accept prospects based solely on potential .

For example, the Milwaukee Bucks drafted AJ Johnson with the 23rd pick of the first round from the NBL's Illawarra Hawks, even though he averaged just 2.9 points per game.

Bronny James' father, LeBron James, is being overshadowed in a number of NBA circles as they believe he and Rich Paul are spelling disaster for the Lakers' rookie.

“The expectations of the fan base, as well as LeBron and Rich Paul, for Bronny do not match the reality of his game,” said an Eastern Conference executive. “If they had any real idea of ​​how far away Bronny was, they simply wouldn’t have done this.”

Another Western Conference executive believes Bronny's overall play and numbers don't indicate an NBA player.

“The fact that this whole thing has even made it this far is surreal. Analytically, if you just had the numbers on a side and no name on it, he would in no way indicate being an NBA player. His measurements do not reflect those of an NBA player. There’s literally nothing about him on paper – if there’s no name on it – that would make sense.”

Opinions about Bronny James are so stark on both sides that it seems as if his critics are willing to forget that he was a former five-star recruit who experienced an incredibly unforeseen situation. Bronny doesn't receive the grace that other prospects would, due to her reservations about his father.

More news: Lakers News: JJ Redick explains how Dalton Knecht can secure a spot on the roster