Without a doubt, Bronny James entered the season as the most-hyped player in college basketball.
Those are just the types of things that happen when your dad is an all-time legend and frankly, one of the most popular people in the world.
But none of that means James is ready for the NBA. Team executives and scouts will tell you it's quite the opposite, actually.
That, of course, is no crime. James experienced a heart scare before the season and has played just one year at the Division I level as he's tried to work his way back. His game is very clearly still in the development stages.
No shame in that, either.
"We would recommend Bronny go back to college," an NBA team executive told Jeremy Woo of ESPN. "I'll be honest, we didn't have huge expectations for [Bronny] heading into the season. I know some mocks had him as a top-20 pick, but our group didn't view him as a player of that caliber.
"I don't know exactly what his role is going to be, and I think it's hard to project him in a half-court setting. He doesn't have great separation off the bounce, he's not a really good perimeter shooter, so it's going to be tough to unlock some of the creation, because I don't think teams are going to get up on him defensively. They'll probably allow him some space [until he proves it].
"I think it's going to be more of a defensive bet, and it's more of a wing profile. I think he'll struggle with some of the quicker guards, he dies on some screens, it's a work in progress."
James is a 6-foot-4 shooting guard who averaged just 4.9 points and 2.9 rebounds for a Trojans team ended the year as one of college basketball's biggest disappointments. At least, we're assuming their season is over. They finished an underwhelming 15-18 and were blasted by Arizona, 70-49, in the Pac-12 quarterfinals.
James finished that game with three points on 1-of-5 shooting.
"He's a very smart player and has a solid feel for the game," one NBA scout told Krysten Peek of Yahoo Sports. "He needs more time to develop, but the fundamental mechanics are there."
All of that said, there's a good chance that James will enter the 2024 NBA Draft, many believe. And why not? He can always back out and return to school.
"I think he'll probably stay in this draft," one NBA executive told Peek. "Should he go back for another year? Probably, but teams will take a serious look at him this year if he decides to stay in this draft class."
