The debate on whether Bronny James should declare for the 2024 NBA Draft rages on, but former Lakers champion Metta Sandiford-Artest has thrown his support behind the USC freshman.
Sandiford-Artest believes the 19-year-old has a lot of potential and shouldn’t be perturbed by his first college season.
“I think he has a good option,” Sandiford-Artest told TMZ Sports when asked what kind of advice he would give Bronny. “… He’s very athletic. I still think he hasn’t grown into his body yet. So, I don’t know if he’s going to be top 50 all time. But in terms of his ability to become a really good player, a starting point guard, I think he’ll be a point guard. He obviously can play the two. But I think with his unselfish play, with his passing ability, like I said, he’s only a freshman.
“So, a lot of people was talking about his numbers, but name a freshman that never averaged more than four or five and then had no chance going pro. Freshman numbers are freshman numbers, right? So, I think he has a shot to be a really good point guard, a starting point guard, maybe even an All-Star.”
Bronny has faced his fair share of criticism, since he averaged 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists while shooting 36.6 per cent from the field in 19.9 minutes during his 25 games for the Trojans.
Though it must be remembered that is recovering from cardiac arrest he suffered in July, which caused him to miss the entire preseason with the team.
Former NBA All-Star Stephon Marbury also gave his support to LeBron’s eldest son recently, saying on Ball Don’t Stop, “Bronny James is a pro. You can’t go by stats with him right now because he’s only playing half the game. His ability to shoot, get to the rim, pass and block shots is grade A.”
We may not have seen the best of Bronny yet, but we have certainly seen some glimpses of brilliance from him.
BRONNY JAMES.
STEAL + SLAM‼️
📺: ESPN
📱: https://t.co/cGFArRkDBb pic.twitter.com/TBsZqYsI9g— USC Men’s Basketball (@USC_Hoops) March 10, 2024
It doesn’t matter what Bronny’s college stats are or whether he declares for the 2024 or 2025 Draft, plenty of teams will go for him in the hopes it will lure LeBron to their franchise.
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