Some might suggest Bronny James’ situation invites criticism, but Rachel Nichols disagrees.
While Doug Gottlieb believes James wouldn’t even start for his Green Bay Phoenix and fellow players like Jaylen Brown have doubts about his professional career, Nichols, on FS1’s Undisputed , argued that the criticism James has faced is entirely unfair.
“I think that people are looking at him as if he’s a top-10 pick,” Nichols told Skip Bayless. “He’s not a top-10 pick. He is a No. 55 pick. The expectations for a No. 55 pick should be that you’re largely headed to the G-League and may get some games up in the NBA. Last year’s No. 55 pick (Isaiah Wong) played four total minutes in the NBA. He didn’t average four minutes a game in the NBA — four total minutes, and those came in one game.
“So, to evaluate Bronny next to top-10 picks versus what other guys at No. 55 has done is totally unfair. And, obviously, it’s gonna happen. We’re all watching him more because of who he is and the fact that he’s playing on the Lakers. Don’t forget that, too, in addition to being LeBron’s son. But he is not playing at a level that’s so much below that other players who have been at his position have played in the past.
Some of that criticism of course comes from fellow Undisputed colleague Skip Bayless, who just yesterday spent an entire segment on Tuesday’s show debating Bronny James winning a Call of Duty tournament at the Summer League and why it was a “bad look” for him.
Nichols compared James to another rookie who had a rough start to Summer League, but one who was drafted much higher up the board.
“In fact, Alex Sarr, who was the No. 2 pick overall, just had a bomber of a game . Zero points, 0-for-15 from the floor, 0-for-7 from the 3-point line. And that’s the No. 2 pick overall. Bronny James is a No. 55 pick. JJ Redick has come out and said that he’s a developmental player. We all knew this going in. So, to sit there and criticize him for Summer League numbers that, as I have said several times, stats do not matter in Summer League.
“We have seen guys have bad Summer Leagues and go on to have good NBA careers. What Bronny needs to get used to in the Summer League is the speed of the game. He needs to get used to new coaches and teammates and new schemes. And he has to get used to the attention he’s getting. Because that’s one of the other things I saw sitting courtside at that game on Monday night…Every time he touched the ball, the crowd perked up. And when he finally scored in the fourth quarter, there was just this wave.”
Nichols said that Bronny has to “earn the damn ball,” taking a page out of her colleague Keyshawn Johnson’s book, and he knows that he hasn’t yet. Nichols added that it was OK that he hasn’t yet because this is who Bronny is now.
“He’s had to deal with a ton of media,” she added. “He didn’t do media after the game on Monday night, which is fine. OK, he’s not required to. But you get the impression that it’s been a lot. So, I think for him, the key is to get used to all of that, and the stats, to me, will follow for a No. 55 overall pick.”
[ Rachel Nichols ]
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