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Bronny James showed up and showed out at the NBA Combine on Monday, displaying a combination of athleticism and shooting prowess on the court.
His performance quieted doubters for the time being after making the decision to move forward in the NBA Draft process.
The guard is doing his best to improve his stock ahead of the selection event, and Monday was the first step. He passed with flying colors as all eyes rest on him.
Much has been made of his decision to forego NCAA eligibility as most don’t believe he boasts a first-round draft grade. Some of that opinion has to do with production. Some has to do with health concerns.
James spent just one season at USC where he averaged under five points per contest in a Trojan uniform. A number of uncontrollable circumstances stunted his growth at the college level, most notably, a cardiac arrest in the offseason leading into that freshman year.
Missing a portion of the early season affected how he was utilized in the lineup as he played second fiddle to other talented teammates in the backcourt. In an attempt to get him on the floor, head coach Andy Enfield played him on the wing, an area NBA scouts have said was out of position.
The combination of the production and health issues had many believing Bronny would (and should) return to college for another season more, but he’s not listening to the outside noise.
Confident in his abilities, he’s ready to take the next step, and judging by his most recent performance, he could be closer than many initially believed.
Bronny James showed out at the NBA Combine.
Athleticism was on full display as he posted a 40.5-inch vertical leap, which should have NBA scouts salivating in regard to his defensive upside.
We saw those ups a number of times throughout his freshman year as he mirrored his father with a few monster blocks.
@usc.athletics “BLOCKED BY JAMES‼️” #usc #bronnyjames #collegebasketball ♬ original sound – USC Athletics
But defense is maybe the area scouts have been least worried about. Some had gone as far as to say he was NBA ready on that end of the floor after just one collegiate season.
It was the offense that was concerning.
That may not be as big of an issue after seeing his prowess from beyond the arc on Monday.
Bronny James got HOT in a number of three-point shooting drills, and at one point, he was seen connecting on 12 straight shots.
Bronny just went a full minute and 15 seconds without missing in movement shooting drill, which is also a test for conditioning, shooting when tired. Impressive stuff here pic.twitter.com/SD6p95cK07
— Jonathan Wasserman (@NBADraftWass) May 14, 2024
He posted a 19/25 showing in that star drill, the second-best mark of any participant. He’d also go 17/22 in a side-mid-side drill while sinking shot after shot in an around-the-key workout.
Bronny James showing off his smooth stroke at the NBA draft combine in Chicago. Good showing for him in the 3-point shooting drill. pic.twitter.com/MyXE1Vtv8W
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) May 13, 2024
James did all he could to boost that stock and quiet the doubters on Day 1 of the NBA Combine. It will be interesting to see how he follows the impressive performance up throughout the week.