The ball got rolling on NBA season Tuesday night and the highlight was Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James suiting up to play alongside his son Bronny.
While the historic event was met with fanfare by many, some in the media have suggested that Bronny James did not earn this moment on account of his lackluster numbers in college and during the NBA Summer League.
TNT Sports’ Inside The NBA analyst Kenny “The Jet” Smith had a different opinion on the matter. In an interview with Fox News Digital, The Jet said, “I just feel like anyone who criticizes Bronny just doesn’t know basketball.”
“He was a McDonald’s All-American, which means he’s one of the top-20 prospects in basketball at his age,” Smith continued. “He was a second-round pick. What a second-round pick means, ladies and gentlemen, is it means you’re drafted strictly on potential. Your year is not your first year – it’s the summer after your first year. That’s why they draft most second-round picks.”
Smith went on to compare Bronny James’ college career which was derailed by health issues to that of his college teammate Isaiah Collier, who was drafted in the first round by the Utah Jazz this year.
“His teammate, Isaiah Collier. The guy didn’t have a great year at USC in terms of his standards, or what was the expectation. He’s drafted late in the first round.”
The comparison isn’t the strongest The Jet has ever made. Collier averaged over 16 points per game while at USC last season while Bronny averaged fewer than five.
Still, Smith has a point. Plenty of NBA players get drafted purely off potential, especially in the second round. And while Bronny hasn’t yet shown he can compete with the NBA’s best, his resume has some of the makings of a young, undeveloped player. He was a McDonald’s All-American, a top-25 recruit in high school, and is also LeBron James’ son.
If you’re drafting purely off potential, that has to count for something.
