We’re less than a week away from learning where Bronny James will play basketball in the NBA, with the June 26-27 NBA Draft drawing near. While he’s far from a top-ranked prospect, Bronny isn’t projected to be a first-round pick, yet there’s plenty of intrigue surrounding LeBron James’ eldest son.
It’s hard to project how good a 19-year-old will be next year, let alone predict his growth over the next 2-3 years, but that’s the job of an NBA talent evaluator.
Paul George is a nine-time All-Star, and while he’s also not a scout, he has seen and played a lot of basketball, especially in the NBA, and he’s gone up against several seemingly similar athletes in his 14-year career.
Recently, George discussed James’s future on the Podcast P with Paul George, and his player comparison for Bronny was particularly noteworthy.
“What’s more impressive is just his basketball savviness. His basketball IQ. He can do it all. I feel like he hasn’t shown that he can really be elite at a lot of things. But I think he can be elite at a lot of things. But I compare him to the Jrue Holidays, the Derrick Whites, guys that are glue guys that go do everything on the floor and help you win.”
Paul George comparing Bronny James to Jrue Holiday and Derrick White
Jrue Holiday is a two-time All-Star who has two NBA Championships to his name. Size-wise, he’s a good comparison for Bronny.
They’re both combo guards with a defensive-first skillset. Bronny, at 6-foot-2, is similar in size to the 6-foot-4 Holiday, and since Bronny’s still 19, there’s more room for growth.
Even if he never comes close to matching his dad’s accomplishments in the NBA (who can), if Bronny could still carve out a career that compares to a six-time member of the All-Defensive team in Holiday, most teams wouldn’t hesitate to spend a second-round pick on LeBron’s son.
No one knows what to expect from Bronny, which is why teams seem to be evaluating him as a second-round pick. The real issue has been getting him into their facilities for a workout.
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