Lakers offseason report card: Revisiting 2024 NBA Draft one month later
Round 2, Pick 55: Bronny James, G, USC Trojans
The Los Angeles Lakers made waves by selecting Bronny James at No. 55 overall. James had struggled mightily during his freshman season with the USC Trojans, shooting inefficiently and producing below what most would consider an adequate level for NBA prospects.
The reality of the No. 55 overall selection, however, is that it's never once produced an All-Star—thus making it difficult to lose too much sleep over who's selected.
Lakers draft Bronny James at No. 55. Bronny. C. .
If a C grade sounds neutral, that's because it is. On one hand, the Lakers could've swung for the fences on a player who had protoypical measurements or an elite skill they could harness to develop a key rotational cog.
On the other, selecting James appeased one of the two franchise players and was done with a pick that's truthfully all about upside.
Since 1995, only Ryan Bowen, Patty Mills, E'Twaun Moore, and Luis Scola have appeared in at least 300 games after being selected at No. 55 overall. James, meanwhile, enters the NBA as a player who has publicly stated that he wants to make his name on the defensive end of the floor.
An eager defender whose familial ties could make a crucial player happy, there were both better and worse ways to spend this pick. An even C.