24-25 Season

He’s literally doing the exact same thing JJJ did - testing the waters while keeping his option to return to school open. It’s very normal thing that a lot of guys do, and it makes even more sense this year, with the draft class being considered very poor overall.

 

Silliness.

 

He’s nothing like jjj and if he came to UT the first sign of obstacles there would be locker room discord. We don’t roll like that.

 

Bron Bron gonna blackmail teams into drafting him.

 

Who said he's anything like JJJ, and what the hell does that have to do with anything? He's doing what JJJ did (testing the waters), and what many kids do every single year. That's a fact. Doesn't mean he's anything like JJJ, and I'm not sure why that matters either way.

Additionally, your comments about locker room discord are completely baseless. Are there stories about Bronny sowing locker room discord at USC? By all accounts, he's a good kid who works his ass off, with a particular focus on defense. That's exactly the kind of kid who tends to thrive in Barnes's system.

You're just making shit up because he's LeBron's kid.

 

lol ur the one who compared what he’s doing to JJJ testing nba waters. JJJ didn’t declare for the draft and hit the portal after 1 year. He didn’t do it after 4 years. JJJ also isn’t Lebrons son, which will bring more scrutiny and drama. We’ve been reading about this kid for years already. You read about JJJ before he committed?
Once again you fail to be able to see a larger picture. Yes being Lebrons son is a factor and likely to bring more negativity than positivity to the program in the long run. Lebron on front row of Food Lion Arena barking out directions isn’t something I want to see.

 

https://www.rockytopinsider.com/202...ing Julian Phillips,NBA process,” Barnes said.



I don't know how to spell it out any more plainly to you. JJJ tested the NBA waters while leaving his option to return to the college game open. Bronny is testing the NBA waters while leaving his option to return to the college game open. Exact same thing, and absolutely nothing wrong with either of them choosing to do so.

At no point did I suggest that JJJ transferred. Bronny is transferring because USC's coach left. Are you going to sit here and suggest that there's something wrong with a kid transferring from a program after the coach who recruited him leaves? It's 2024, not 2004.

If you don't want Bronny James to play for the Vols because he's LeBron's son and you've convinced yourself it will cause drama, then just say that and move on. We get it - you don't like LeBron James. But don't try to play up some bull shit about how him testing the NBA waters is somehow proof that he's a cancer or would "sow locker room discord" when there's literally no evidence of him ever having done that shit.

And the idea that LeBron sitting front row out UT games could be anything other than amazingly positive for the program is hilarious. But you understand the dude plays in the NBA, right? And that his NBA team is based Los Angeles, right? He's not gonna be at most of the games if Bronny plays here.

 

Ssmiff is just laying out the basic risk/reward considerations. No we don't know how the variables will turn out, but potential downside risk seems too high for Bronny. If I had a vote, it would be NO.

 

JJJ did not test out NBA waters after his freshman year and hit the portal. He never hit the portal. And to repeat what I just posted again, it was after year 4, to get a eval and planned to return to UT with feedback he already had received.

 

The risks as I see them are added drama and negative team dynamics. His limited college body of work doesn't seem to justify that risk.

 

I wouldn’t want a lot of high profile peoples sons in our program.

 

4.8 pts, 2.8 rebounds, 26% 3 pt and 62% from the ft line. If it wasn’t Lebrons kid and we were talking about how much we need him, people would be asking wtf Barnes is doing. But here we are with posters insisting hate of Lebron is the only reason.
Evidently, it’s Ritard Transparency Day and Indy just reminded.

 

If that’s how you feel, fine. Again, I think that’s a dumb opinion, but you’re allowed to have it. But tying Bronny testing NBA waters to him sowing discord in the locker room is nothing but your bias.

 

Nobody is saying we need him. I have no idea what the [uck fay] you are even talking about. All I’ve said is that if he did decide to come here, I think he’d fit in fine with Barnes’s style.

As for the numbers, the kid was the 28th ranked prospect out of high school and suffered a cardiac arrest on the floor before the season. That he even has numbers to begin with shows a level of resiliency and grit that you, specifically, would normally appreciate in any player not related to LeBron.

If you think the low numbers means he was overrated out of high school, fine. But tons of guys blossom after moving into a new/better situation. I’m of the opinion that he’d be a good fit and I’d have no issue with Barnes recruiting him and bringing him in. But if Barnes doesn’t recruit him, I’ve got no issue with it either.

 

I’ve got an issue with us bringing any 5/2 player in from the portal. Don’t give af who they are.

 

I really find it hard to believe he would have been ranked that high if not for his father.

 

Idk man. It’s possible. But the scouting reports are out there. He was ranked 29th, then bumped down to 61st, then up to 43rd, then eventually back up to 27th. That looks like the ranking ebbs and flows of any normal prospect being evaluated throughout his high school and AAU years, to me. If he was ranked high because of daddy, why not just rank him high and leave him high?

 

Bronny:

• 19 mpg
• 5 Points
• 3 Rebounds
• 2 Assists
• 1 Steals
• 1 TO’s
• 37% FG %
  
• 27% 3 pt %

Gainey:

• 18 mpg
• 7 Points
• 2 Rebounds
• 1 Assists
• 1 Steals
• 1 TO’s
• 36% FG %
  
• 29% 3 pt %

Just for reference.

 

Any names surfacing as transfer targets?

 

The Arizona center is in the portal. Oh man, that would be nice just to be sure he doesn't go somewhere else in the $EC.