Lakers draft Bronny James 55th overall, is skepticism warranted? | NBA | FIRST THINGS FIRST

Lakers draft Bronny James 55th overall, is skepticism warranted? | NBA | FIRST THINGS FIRST

live from New York it’s a show that ironically has their son right there at work with him first things first he’s waving W camera we start with the 55th pick bronny James selected by the Lakers happy moment in La here’s bronnie uh being drafted some skepticism in the media uh friend of the show Vincent Goodwell had a great article and uh kind of a incendiary tweet that’s probably too much I thought the twe was good Lakers are a family run organization the bus family the randis family and now the James family if there’s one organization that couldn’t thumb its nose at a star wanting this particular wish it’s the Lakers it can still be cringy too H Nick is skepticism around the pick warranted I I think the coverage of this has been absolutely maddening and so disingenuous by so many people I byy that so a couple things that no one has ever pretended to care about in the NBA are now hot button issues we the nepotism piece of it I I’m old enough to remember cus anasis being picks in the 50s or the 60th pick and not a single person was like there’s a fouryear senior out there who’s having his moments stolen because a team wants to kiss up to Yannis onom nobody cared the value of second round picks dve before yesterday Dylan Jones the 26th pick of the draft was traded straight up for five second round picks last night the 52nd pick of the draft was traded for cash about two million bucks wire it to me we take some in Bitcoin that’s it no one cares and now all of a sudden it is it people’s obvious transparent dislike or jealousy or whatever of LeBron has colored this whole thing because I guarantee you if in 15 years Canon Curry Steph’s youngest is a fringe NBA Prospect and the war is like you know what it’s a good story I think he’s a good kid and he’s got a shot we have him 71st on our board we’ll draft him 58th the think pieces aren’t coming instead people are like that’s awesome that is super dope and this should have been celebrated like that because this picture right here is one of the coolest stories ever these two human beings now play for the same basketball team that’s LeBron James making the NBA Finals with his toddler son and now they’re on a team together and lastly Brew obviously nepotism played a piece in this but the idea that brony is has nowhere deserves nowhere to be in the room denies these realities we saw him in the McDonald’s All-American Game Play very well against his peers score 15 points shoot well we then saw him at the combine perform in the top 10 percentile in two separate very different either athleticism or shooting drills what we also saw was 10 months ago this kid’s heart stopped on the court and he didn’t have a great year of college basketball and instead of the story being one of if not the greatest player ever has played long enough that his kid is now going to be his teammate and by the way that kid impeccable off Court resume and overcame what could have been a life ending moment the story is just a weird LeBron’s too much power dis genous what about the ne I didn’t like any of it so that’s how I feel the story should have gone and would have gone for any player in the league other than LeBron James’s kid the story is fantastic and should absolutely be celebrated and the reason this has never happened in the NBA before is because no one’s he’s LeBron is about to start his 22nd year and he entered the league early we know right out of high school so no one’s been able to play this long for the most part and then to play with their son and he we’ll get to it later he might play with his other son too we’ll see all right Bryce but this is a phenomenal story I agree with Nick I do not and I mentioned this yesterday want to hear anything about nepotism at all until you start addressing the nepotism throughout not only the NBA but Sports in in fact it’s more than Sports all right it’s in politics it’s throughout American society so now you want to address it when an africanamerican got the juice to have some nepotism benefit his family I’m supposed to get angry police not at all in fact the Lakers who was the president of basketball operation for the Lakers about a decade ago Jim bus yeah was he qualified I don’t know who’s the owner now pushed out jeie bus right because he wasn’t I mean and I I dealt with Jim I liked him but he didn’t do a great job but he was the only son yeah okay and I mentioned coaches yesterday we can go to front offices it is throughout the league and it’s throughout other sports as well so don’t even bring that to me now okay now as far as the skepticism I I was skeptical a year or two ago when LeBron first started talking about wanting to play with bronny because I was like is that best for bronnie okay I was like number one he may feel like look man I want to I don’t want to get there on my dad’s coattails I want to get there my on my own merits and as Nick said he does have merits now he not great merits at this point but he’s certainly an NBA you know On The Fringe of being an NBA player okay and you got to give him Grace because of the cardiac arrest he suffered not that long ago so I I was wondering that but like I said all these guys in the NBA front offices we had a couple guys passed uh Bill Walton passed recently his son Luke coach in the was a coach in the NBA Jerry West the legend pass his two sons Johnny works with the front office for Golden State Ryan works in the front office was with the Lakers then with the piston and they if they don’t feel like man did I really deserve to get I’m not going to bronnie shouldn’t feel that way either you just got to capitalize on it take right and then take advantage of it all right the second thing was because bronnie my concern was okay he probably is going to want to feel like let me get out of my dad’s Shadow and spread my own Wing spread my wings that’s going to be a challenge to do what changed my thoughts on it is watching bronnie like at the combine and talk about it he seems comfortable in his own skin he’s had to deal with being LeBron James Jr his entire life and so he’s used to it and I think he he he sincerely looks happy just to be in the league whether it’s playing with his Dad or not I do think it’s more important to LeBron um but I think he’s just got to make the most of this opportunity so I am not as skeptical about that aspect of it as I once was I think it’s good for bronnie and he’s just got to make the most of it you got your foot in the door now here’s your chance do your thing see I buy that I don’t buy being 100% non-skeptical like Ken Griffey Jr and Ken Griffey senior and it felt like any push back was a little bit of I don’t know I don’t think people were buying that that was the story like oh my God can you believe it the two Griffies there playing together so I think there is a little bit of skepticism that’s fair not totally dissimilar to like Bill bich having his sons on the staff were those guys going to be hired with other on other NFL staffs probably not were they related to the goat coach yes do they have an uh a strong relationship with the most important person in the organization yes could they help get a little push ahead and turn out to be pretty good yes but was that met with some skepticism yeah even though they’re they seem to be good guys but I think having some skepticism is fair and you don’t need to be maligned like how dare you be skeptical I don’t no so but here’s the thing I don’t think this is where I think the Skeptics I I think what you’re I think there’s a bit of straw Manning going on I haven’t heard a single person being like what a coincidence what that is crazy that that happened that the Lakers happened to draft LeBron James I haven’t heard no one has argued there has not been a single person out there saying that this is totally unrelated this is just the player they wanted and no one why would somebody say that no so no but it feel like like the Lakers released their their video and it’s like Rob talking excited about it know but there was an there was an element of performance a little bit because he wants he understands I would imagine the situation of bnie everybody saying this is only for LeBron we want to celebrate bronie and make at least we’re going to let him know we actually want you we actually care about you as a player and I think that’s what that was all about and go ahead well I want to answer your thing about cuz you said hypothetically if Steph’s kids you know if he he could play with his kids or whatever I do think that some of the skepticism about LeBron some of the reaction is from the feeling which has been you know Justified that over the years he has orchestrated so much whether it’s going to certain teams getting players traded to his team whatever coaches all that and I do think people are looking at this is here’s LeBron again flexing his muscles but I’m not mad at him for flexing his muscles if you got it go ahead but that’s also where that’s where I also think if we may just for another moment think that so much of the LeBron discussion is just inverted from a place of I something about him irks me and what he’s doing is wrong rather than objectively looking at it people you are correct Brew get more upset about LeBron hitting free agency surveying the landscape and saying what place is the best position who can I get to join me rather than the 15 guys who since the decision have signed a new contract with a team saying I want to be here and then within 18 months been like actually you must trade me oh I I won’t show up for Camp I’ll be out of shape none of that never ruined a season never thrown and so this is the reason where I’m saying the the skepticism part I think is some people are operating disingenuously is because no one is arguing that this is a happy coincidence but other folks are arguing that this is a a a sports crime that using the 55th pick which is worth about 1.8 million cash or about evidently 20% of what Dylan Jones at P 26 is worth that that is that we’ve never seen something like it I saw the New York Knicks give a roster spot to Chris Smith because they wanted JR Smith to be happy the the Lakers drafting the 27th ranked high school player in his class because it is one of the things that will make arguably the greatest player ever happy and you know maybe a little more upside there than taking a 19-year-old from lva we’ll see it’s a lowrisk thing the amount of skepticism I think was overplayed because everything LeBron touches is so polarizing all right let’s talk about uh this year on the court here’s Dave mcmeniman on his conversation with Anthony Davis I brought up Ronnie James and he said I wouldn’t be mad at the team if we took him and he was still available at 55 see it’s that’s being nice that’s ad being nice to his play Nephew think what do you think of that I didn’t say it I know I but you clearly are thinking something it’s I don’t know Davis told me he was really impressed with the way he was able to break down the defense get into the teeth of it and be able to set up teammates for success I think ad was just you’re right being nice okay but it’s the idea that like other teams ahead of him were think were thinking about taking him in the 40s I don’t know if that’s well didn’t we discuss that someone might take him as like a a trade chip yeah but that seems disingenuous so yeah maybe maybe go ahead all right so Bron’s contributions this year look like what Bru I I’d be shocked if he makes any significant contributions to the Lakers what what I see with Brian is playing a lot of g-league basketball they they’re not going to sign a think they don’t have to sign a g-league contract they’re going to get a legitimate NBA contract but he still can play in the G league and he needs to he needs to play all right it can’t just be working out with coaches shooting drills things like that so I think he’ll be in the g-league a lot I think when he plays with the Lakers first action and maybe all of his action this year will be in blowouts and first time he’s on the court with LeBron will be some type of Lakers blowout win where they put bronnie out there it’s a great moment blowout loss well my guess is LeBron but LeBron might be on the bench they might rest honestly a blowout loss is probably a blowout loss is on the board well I just wonder if it’s a blowout loss you might get your starters out and not and it won’t be a Feelgood of a moment if they’re down 35 Denver but that’s why it’s weird that’s why it’s weird why what because if the Lakers are down 25 with you know 8 minutes to go Bron’s already out of the game in real life so then are you putting bronnie in yeah sure maybe no he was saying that not Bron’s first NBA saying he was saying no his first action with LeBron on that doesn’t have my guess is his first action in the league will not be with LeBron on the court I think he would probably play in one of those situations and then but go ahead sorry no I I just so yeah I I don’t see him making significant contribution this year I I again I’d be stunned if he does that so can I I’m going to throw some numbers up at you oh and you tell me if you think he could do this because Lakers rookies you know we can now it wasn’t a second round pick it’s first round pick but last year at number 17 they took a guy who with no controversy you know what I mean nobody there was no nepotism involved here’s what he did with the Lakers last year do we think bronnie can match those numbers I think maybe that’s what they got from the 17th pick of the draft 21 games 5 minutes a game one point half a rebound half an assist 22% from the field 133% from three which is to remind everyone that the NBA draft is very different than the NFL draft which is top five picks typically three of them are awesome and then from six through 30 you are not quite picking names out of the hat but it’s it’s very hard to get a contributor I think his real contribution because I agree with you should spend most of his time in G league needs to play need needs to work he shot well at the combine needs to have probably a quicker release there’s a lot of things and the thing working against him more than anything is his height so figuring out how to navigate an NBA you know game at a shade under 6’2 is going to take real time and work and it’s I don’t think I think the best case scenario is he is a rotation player in three years I think that’s the beste scenario I after his third year you know what I mean I think that’s the case for almost all these second Runners but Wilds where I think he could contribute is what his impact of being around has on LeBron like LeBron is in year 22 this team is not right now anywhere in my opinion close to a legitimate of LeBron’s 22 Seasons this team probably ranks 18th in Championship odds of all the teams he’s ever been on he has the scoring record he has a he accomplish everything does having his son around change some of LeBron’s kind of most annoying or nonproductive Tendencies will LeBron be more locked in to the new coach JJ Rex huddle because I’m setting an example for my kid who’s right there will LeBron be less likely in on defense yeah Lo well not just locked in on defense but more likely to when someone else screws up on defense or if LeBron screws up on defense either way it’s usually the same kind of that reaction less likely to do that cuz my kid is here he’s been pretty successful behaving the way he has been successful LeBron knows bronnie is not doesn’t have the margin of error he did LeBron and so I I don’t know man I do I do work with my son in a position that he would not have gotten initially without me saying I want to work with my son there are certain things I do on that podcast that are different than if he weren’t there because I know you know what I mean like he’s there and I I these are not a perfect comparison I understand but it’s just so I’m I’m fascinated by that I also am fascinated by if they were if he were to be they had the injuries they had last year and all of a sudden he is a part of the rotation for a few days the defensive piece of it I think in those scenarios is a fascinating case study of what LeBron can Channel like are we going to see if Bron’s out there for an underman Lakers team LeBron being the greatest help Defender we’ve seen from him in a decade cuz he’s trying like I I I I’m not being a smart alic here I think those are all real things because we’ve never seen something like this finally Bob Myers talked about the behind the scenes minations from Rich Paul to prevent other teams from drafting bronnie saying Rich Paul’s calling teams and saying don’t take bronny James if you take him he’s going to Australia so he has a and he has a place BR your reaction yeah I checked around a little bit um from what I’m told there were four teams legit outside of the Lakers okay that had legitimate interest in taking Brony the Clippers the Timberwolves which not a not that bad of a situation for him you know I know they they drafted a young point guard too before him but the Suns but they wanted it because of LeBron and the Raptors all right Toronto uh so I did talk to or text call whatever the however it was done but let these teams know this and again I don’t have a problem at all with this this is what agents do Ry Holland who went fifth to the Pistons didn’t even work out with them Alex SAR who went second to Washington a lot of people thought he would go first for the longest he was the number one guy in the mock draft he refused to work out for Atlanta now I don’t think Alex SAR called Atlanta and said hey his agent did Bill Duffy all right so this is what agents do all right so to act like Rich Paul was doing something crazy something ridiculous no this is what a lot of Agents do he was trying to get his client in the best situation he could and so he flexed his muscle and it’s like I said yesterday Nick some of these agents when you have sign a significant amount of players and Rich has about 40 then you have power and these teams have to deal with you cuz they may want some of your other guys so I I thought Rich that’s no problem whatsoever what he you jotted something down I kind of like Minnesota so no it would have been interesting so I do too so let me if I may cap what I’ve said here with this additional caveat I happen to believe that LeBron the father has earned the benefit of the doubt throughout being a public father since he was 19 years old and that he seems to not only be like an involved invested dad but really want what’s best for his kids I also think Rich Paul the agent has earned the benefit of the doubt that he is they are constantly even though through bad media coverage or angered front office doing what they think is best for their clients that’s right if there were a better basketball situation and it’s like no we’re not doing it because this isn’t what the dad wants that to me would be objectionable to be clear and so I I don’t I have I think LeBron has earned the benefit of the doubt to say he wouldn’t do that to his kid and Rich has earn the benef of the doubt to say he wouldn’t do that to one of his clients but so I I think when people see this that comes to mind and I I think that’s a a legitimate discussion to have I just don’t think there’s any reason to believe that is actually what happened but yeah I agree with you like because there is you know Anthony Edwards is not 61 but under sized a bit for how he plays like there’s like some of that does seem like that could be fun and interesting and they drafted a guard a point guard and then they still had Mike connley so you know it’s not like he would have stepped in and been in the rotation and also the thing most people aren’t considering because we haven’t really I mean bronnie kind of has talked around it maybe bronnie is also like I do want to play with that if I got the chance if I have a choice I do want to play with my dad of I know I can learn from him and it’ll make me a better player so maybe there’s that too and he was like if you you guys can get me to the Lakers let’s do it okay thanks for watching subscribe here to get more from the show and to check out clips from other shows on FS1

Nick Wright, Kevin Wildes and Chris Broussard react to the Los Angeles Lakers selection of Bronny James in the second round of the 2024 NBA Draft.

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Lakers draft Bronny James 55th overall, is skepticism warranted? | NBA | FIRST THINGS FIRST

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