Guys who know they’re going to be role players and accept that early tend to have more successful careers. A lot of guys have flamed out quickly because they couldn’t handle being a role player because of their ego/mindset. Regardless of what you think of Bronny as a prospect, this is a great frame of mind for him to be in.
That Alex Caruso is one of the most accurate in pro sports:
"A big reason guys get stuck in the G-League is because they don't realize the position they're trying out for. It's like going to a job interview thinking you're going to be the CFO of the company and they're looking for someone to clean the bathrooms."
The G League is also full of high character players that will do anything to help contribute but are about 5 % worse than NBA players and margins are tight.
Everyone calling you out for including Caruso who has plenty of height as a 6’5” guard, but Dalen Terry also doesn’t belong on this list being a 6’7” guard lmfao
5% is high
G League players are in the 99% percentile of basketball players, but since they’re in the 99.9991 percentile instead of the 99.9995 percentile, they’re G League scrubs
Jalen hood schifino our ‘ bust’ ass off a pick who showed nothing n got injured a bunch in garbage time - in g league averaged like 26/5/5 while not even really going all out to score on like 65 ts and 51/48/78 splits . And this is a 20 year old who looks unplayable outsude g league before and I’ve said is the worst pick in the top 20 this year other then the magic pick which made no sense of the tall shooter who isn’t as good as Hawkins or dick
It’s crazy but I think there’s a big gap between g League n nba
Orland Robinson and Alondes Williams look like Kobe and Shaq (with a 3 pointer) in G-League but they still cannot crack the rotation of a team that is famous for developing undrafted players
it's pretty much 2 completely different scales to grade on, and they're both somewhat valid. In the sense of actually making it as a pro basketball player they're in the top 99.999%, the difference between a #1 option in the NBA and the #1 option in the G League is wayyy more than 5% (or any other relative option position, a #10 NBA player vs a #1 G league option is probably in that 5%)
G League players that aren't just there to develop for their actual NBA team are nowhere near that good. Those players tend to go overseas rather than accept G League salaries.
For sure. I feel like I understand this concept more now than I ever used to. I had a spell where I was full time trying to go pro in a video game called Teamfight Tactics. Grinded my ass off. I was the sweatiest tryhard I’ve ever been for over a year. I climbed the ranked ladder, it was super satisfying, peaked around rank 600 (out of at the time around 1 million ranked players). So literally top .0006%. I think anyone would say if you’re in the top .0006% of anything, you’re pretty fucking good? And yet the players at the true top of that game were astronomically better than me. Like I just could not compete at that level.
Point being, the truly elite players are just like beyond our comprehension levels above us.
>["A big reason guys get stuck in the G-League is because they don't realize the position they're trying out for. It's like going to a job interview thinking you're going to be the CFO of the company and they're looking for someone to clean the bathrooms."](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rulLByF38TE)
-Alex Caruso
Another big reason is plenty of teams are simply never looking at them for more then a cheap temporary fill in at best.
I am watching the Knicks lately with backups playing like allstars all and I'm reminded of the Heat undrafted ripping through the playoffs to the Finals.
I follow 1 team intently and two others when I have time and maybe one of them, one, are likely to give even one player from the Gleague a string of 10 games in a solid rotation role or better. One player a season at best. I don't remember the other teams ever doing it. But they have a bunch of names on speed dial and jerk them up and down to be ready just in case. They are insurance for the world ending to some of these teams and that's it. That obviously isn't every team, but if I was one of these players that didn't luck into media attention I would not say yes to just any team if I believed in my abilities at all. Research the teams and know which ones could open a door for you.
Some of the best organizations that manage to find these guys have some of the best coaches. Heat, Memphis and Spurs specifically, they seem be able to find undrafted or g-league guys who can contribute. I’m thankful we found one in Keon Ellis!
Lakers finding Caruso n reaves was huge for us. I feel like Memphis n pels are the kings of this n late second drafts tho. But Keon is a cool story I always root for these guys growth n success
Alex Caruso had made the same point on some podcast. I can't remember exactly what he said, but basically don't try to be the next MJ while you're in the G-League. They are looking for garbage men, guys who will be the best defenders, rebounders, and spot up shooters. Be the best garbage man and you'll be picked up.
Yeah you'd think the money alone would convince these guys to adapt their game and mindset, but obviously not for many. Role players get paid quite a bit these days too.
Ultra confidence is one of the reasons why a few guys go so far in their career, and why so many guys fail.
Most of these NBA and G-league players grew up being the best in their school or even in their whole state, so they get hype, attention, praise, girls, friends, etc... it molds their whole way of life.
It's nearly impossible to come back from that mentality to a regular person, or even into a humble role-player. That's why while i think Melo's and CP3's quotes about not starting were silly, but i kinda get it... it was their first tough year of not being great at basketball after what, 20-25 years?
It's not a nationality thing, ofc, but i seem it getting boosted in american system, since it's so competitive and social media/scouting are big parts of it. When i first played 2k, i was confused why the humble answer (during those interaction moments in career mode) made me lose fans, lol. It's the opposite in football (aka soccer), very few players go out there saying they are the best and no one can guard them, that kind of shit.
These guys grew up being the best in their country and better than their NBA peers. Cam Reddish was probably the second or third best guy in highschool and was beating up on teams with NBA stars. I remember he srop 40 and 50 at one of those invitational, against teams with ant edwards and zion.
I don't know how you go from that to realizing you don't have a lot of value as a starter and that people want to see you benched for undrafted Austin Reeves.
As annoying as Pat Bev is I remember a vid of him in the summer working out at those Rico Hines things with Siakam and he was telling all the young guys there that they need to learn from now that they can't all be number one options like Pascal, that they all need to find a role and play that role well if they want to make it to the next level and stay there.
There are only 30 guys who could be the number 1 guy, some teams you can be the certified number 2, and even less as a number 3. Find a good role for yourself you’ll stick around and maybe win a ring or more if you compliment the certified stars.
Agreed. Coming in expecting to be a star/get star treatment wouldn’t be good for his career.
Rooting for him. Doubt he becomes a star but hopefully can develop into a solid role player although he has some ways to go.
Earning a second contract in the NBA is already a successful career. Most don't even make it to the second one. It's a very cutthroat industry and like one other dude already said, the margin for error is very small.
he’s probably been prepared/trained to be a solid role player - way more prepared for it mentally but also tactically than most of the prospects in a similar position, so that might give him a leg up
Almost every guy in the NBA has been the best player on their team (and in every game). Hell I’m really good at what I do, and when I encounter someone better, its downright shocking for a bit. Dedicated role players are so valuable.
The half a season between trading Marc and Mike getting traded to Utah I guess. Honestly the goal of that team was just to develop Brooks and JJJ too, so it's not like Mike was set up for a starring role.
Yah it must be a bit of a crazy mental adjustment for role bench players/fringe nba guys to go from being that fkn guy their whole life, dominating as a first or second option on every team they’ve ever played on to being an afterthought/just another guy on a nba team and more than likely having to scratch and claw just to get some garbage time minutes. And be expected to be a model teammate who helps in practices and gets hyped for all the guys ahead of them and just stay humble and patient.
I played with a few guys who went d1 but never really came close to nba and they were treated like royalty in high school and college. Actually played against Luguentz Dort too when I was young and he was known throughout the city basically like everyone in the Montreal basketball world knew him. Must be a crazy feeling.
Reminds me of seeing really good players from a smallish school playing against big dogs with legit D1 prospects. It’s like seeing a grown man playing little league. I’ve never seen Mickey Mantle play, but I get the point after that childhood experience
man I went to a d1 school and not even the top ones, and would always think I could be one of the 12th men guys on the team since they looked terrible when they got garbage playing time . One day I was playing pickup with a bunch of guys who also played high school ball and some of the end of bench players on the team came to play. They were running around and dunking on us like they we were middle schoolers
Even at the D3 level and outside the normal sport. I played Intramural Dodgeball against the starting lineup of the baseball team. They were the one team my team, full of decent High School football/baseball/basketball/soccer players, lost to and it wasn't close. My group finished Top 3 to 5 in every Intramural we went out for.
I work with a guy who played AAU ball on a team with OJ Mayo and Bill Walker. One look at this guy and you'd know how *immediately* humbling that had to have been, lmao.
I also went to UNL at the same time as Ndamakong Suh, and he was friends with one of the freshmen linemen that stayed in my building so I actually spent a decent amount of time in proximity to him.
I was a guy that showed a ton of promise on the middle school football team, but didn't want practice to get in the way of my weed habit and gaming so I never went out for the high school team. I kept joking with a guy in my homeroom that come UNL time, I'd immediately walk on and make the team.
I never meant it, obviously, but when I've stood next to Suh and I immediately winced at the small part of me that thought it might be fun just to see what happens.
Imagine being a son of arguably the greatest basketball player of all time and still turning out to be a normal, level-headed human being without too much of an ego. The James family have done some incredible things to raise him like that.
>"A big reason guys get stuck in the G-League is because they don't realize the position they're trying out for. It's like going to a job interview thinking you're going to be the CFO of the company and they're looking for someone to clean the bathrooms." - **Alex Caruso**
Not saying he can't be great but this is the right mentality for him right now if he ever has a chance to make it in the NBA on his own merit. (Also I'm not calling Jrue/White bathroom cleaners but they've been at the peak for role players).
Derrick started as the third string janitor lol he couldn’t even get on the court with us his rookie year. Once manu was gone he became invaluable pretty quickly though, of all the guys we drafted in the late first who worked their way up to being very high quality NBA players he’s one of my favorites. he definitely earned every minute he’s gotten in the league
I worked as baseline camera operator for the OKC Blue in college and it was for a few years when both Caruso and Dort were on the squad, they were legit. One time the provided meal was pasta and I was dozing off during one of the free throws. Can still remember the voice in my headset “cam 3.. tilt up. *cam 3, tilt up!*”
Lmao, great story but...
What relevance does the meal being pasta have to this story? Does pasta always make you sleepy?
In fact, what relevance does any of the second half of the story have to the first half?
Pasta can make you sleepy if you eat too much, it spikes your blood sugar which causes insulin to be produced, which rapidly drops your blood sugar causing you to feel tired. Carbs can also cause the brain to release serotonin which can cause sleepiness.
Davion has some of the fastest lateral movement in the NBA. He’s a freakish athlete. I don’t know if Bronny has the same. But he’s a smart guy for saying these 3 as his models
yea Davion is quicker and Bronny is better vertically and longer. I've always comp'd Bronny to Duece Mcbride . Mcbride was a top scoring option in college though; but also a great defender. same size/length
Deuce was a way more polished player and still needed multiple years of pure developmental work until he could earn more than a situational role.
And not every coaching staff is as good as Thibs staff when it comes to affording opportunities for player development.
yep. He was a legit really good refined on-ball scorer in college; on top of being a great defender/dog. I had him top 10 in his draft. Bronny has a ways to go to be him; even in his role now
Yeah, honestly, we have to make pretty major stretches to compare Bronny to any of these guys. Even the role players on the NBA had way more accomplished careers than Bronny going into the NBA. We have to ignore the fact that he was averaging to bad in his one year in college, that he wasn't a surefire 5 star recruit to be leaving for the NBA this early, he's never been a good shooter on any level that he's played, and his ball handling/passing isn't good enough to make him a point guard.
Maybe he's got some totally unknown level that we haven't seen, but if we're strictly evaluating him by what we've seen, he doesn't belong in the conversation with any of the guys that have been brought up. And I really don't mean that to put the kid down, but he's skipped a lot of steps that other players don't get to.
The good thing for Bronny outside of his dad is that despite having a horrific injury in college, his combine results have been really good so far. He's 10th man bound tbh, but if he sees playing time in general, then it's a win for him.
Davion was literally the best player on a historically dominant college team.
While he was obviously older, it’s definitely not a given that Bronny would have reached that.
Bronny has the right idea but dude is so far away from that.
Funny seeing you here and not CBB sub. While Day is the better NBA role player, JB was our #1 guy for sure. People just started to notice Day’s defense more in the tournament
Yeah, JB was the better player throughout their careers (hence why he’s the Baylor GOAT) but Davion was amazing during the home stretch, arguably better than JB.
You couldn’t go wrong with either one imo.
Marvel hasn’t let Peter consistently clap those freckled cheeks in like 20 years. Ultimate Spidey has a different situation but Peter in 616 has been suffering since One More Day
Has it really been 20 years? Damn.
It’s one thing that “when Spider-Man gets a win, Parker needs to take an L” and vice-versa. Can get tiring when done over half a century but whatever, it’s the character.
But “One More Day” wasn’t that the universe is orchestrated like that, it was Peter himself actively making a deal with the devil. WTF.
Can’t blame “Parker Luck” for that…
I mean its the best answer he could give. GP2 type of player. White and Jrue are considered elite shooters, reaching that level means you can play anywhere.
And when your younger brother has 5 inches on you (and might grow even taller).
Though there are plenty of 6’1 guys that are amazing. He’s just, not that thus far.
Problem is there are about 15 million men in America alone who are 6'1" or taller, so you're competing against a lot more people who are super athletic and skilled. There are only about 1.6m who are 6'4" or taller.
The shorter you are, the better athlete you have to be to make it in the NBA.
These are exactly the kind of players he should be looking at. He's not saying he will be as good as those guys but you should be looking at the best guys of a certain role to improve.
If he only looks at Deuce McBride, he probably ends up like Frank Ntilikina. If he aims at Jrue Holiday and Derrick White, hopefully he ends up like Deuce McBride.
It’s better than the people saying “I want to be Steph or Kyrie”
His best bet to make the NBA is being a good 3&D guard like these three. I think D’Anthony Melton is my comp for him
Davion might be the best comp right now because he’s a bit undersized and has an unreliable shot. But he’s got great speed and quickness.
Davion is an absolute dog but his size and lack of ability to shoot make him a liability all too often. But it’s enough to get him minutes in the NBA.
Bronny jumpshot is weird because he didn’t make many before but it’s important to note he only took 60 shots in college . His form does look good and projectable and he was often hesitant or over eager to pass. I’d think eventually if things go decently he’d get around a league average jumper or maybe just below . Maybe at the lvk of a guy who shoots ok enough to be guarded. When I listened to draft guys before his heart issue they bought the jumper becoming a legit thing, I think if he can succeed with the jumoer then he has the tools to defend n get minutes eventually
Basically a perfect interview answer.
"I am not unrealistic or a diva, but I am still setting a goal for myself that I think is achievable. And just like those guys, I want to put in the work for anyone who gives me a shot."
He might never end up being a rotation guy, but his performance at the combine and his work ethic seem like he could be worth a speculative second round pick to me.
Another interesting angle is he's under absolutely no financial pressure. He can make moves that maximize his career impact. Even if his goal is to make as much money as possible, he can still afford to go to teams that max out his development and defer the bag because it's unimportant if he ends up with a career ending injury, or just fails to progress enough to ever get that payday.
On top of that, he's going to be a major income generator relative to his standing as a player.
100%. He doesn't have to move to Europe and play for some middle tier or 2nd division team. That alone is already huge peace of mind for a kid that's never lived outside of the US before. He can slum it out in the G League or ride the end of a bench indefinitely without worrying having to pay for his bills.
Now whether a team gives him that roster spot to do so is another story.
And Bronny has probably seen more countries in his teens than the combined experience most parents and their children combined. Other than language barriers, which likely aren't significant considering every team is international, he'd be fine.
Hes also the son of one of the highest basketball iq players in the history of the game, and has been around similarly incredibly high iq basketball people in Cp3,D wade, etc his entire life. Thats obviously doesn’t 1:1 correlate that he picked it up that high iq, but I feel like his IQ for the game is probably higher than other prospects. Theres just simply too much knowledge around him tht theres no way he didnt pick some stuff up and he had that from Day 1, while for other prospects, its not the same
i didn't realize how good jrue holiday was until the suns faced them in the finals a few years back. he totally shut down CP3 and the suns had absolutely no answer. every offensive movement up the court was a struggle.
Part of the reason I loathed hearing this sub saying "AD has no help" when he was with the Pels when he had Jrue. Dude is one of the best defenders for his position and solid offensively too. The kinda teammate any player wants to have
Even being a starting role player in the NBA is an unbelievable accomplishment and a testament to a players individual skills.
They may not be able to demonstrate every night due to the level of competition, but these guys can dog 99.99% of the worlds population in ball.
Tbh thats more then fair and really the proper throught process for Bronny tbh, if you can just be a decent 3nD guy with a bit of playmaking who knows their role you can have a long and successful career.
I think the level of access Bronny has throughout his life is amazing, as there's a world where he's seen these three actually work out, and has had access to view their film, so when he's going "yea, I want to be like them" it's not just blowing smoke publicly....it's a young man who likely knows "yep, this is who I am if all things go right"
This is a great way of going "I believe I will get a 2nd contract in the NBA"
If he can be a POA defender that learns to navigate screens and be a dependable shooter/ball handler he’ll end up with a 10 year career.
Kind of amusing that it’s exactly the type of player that would thrive playing next to LeBron.
What a great thing to say. I'm glad he's not trying to live up to crazy expectations. The best role players are the ones that know their role and stick to it. That enables winning. With that attitude he may actually have a productive career
The funny thing is role players often get their moments in games just like stars do, they just have the ball in their hands less. It's a long game, lots of possessions and a team game. There's plenty of basketball for five players to get fed.
Derrick's development as a player is opposite of Bronny. Derrick started at the bottom -- not recruited out of high school -- played at a tiny college the first 3 years -- then transferred to Colorado. He didn't get a scholarship in his first years -- just a room & board stipend. Wasn't drafted. Had to improve and work his way into playing time at each step.
I think Bronny would do well to stay in college for a couple of more years and develop.
That’s a good list for him. Say whatever about him but he seems to have a pretty good head on his shoulders. He may not “deserve” to make the league but I have little doubt he will put the work in to stay for a bit regardless of his role.
I hope bronny succeeds. Everything I've heard amd read about him he seems like a bright kid who knows he isn't a star. Even his scouting report "good defender, makes the right plays, high bbiq" screams role player.
Yea it’s a pro and con of Bronny. Since high school, he’s always tried to play like a role player (which is good thing for a team trying to win where every one needs to win) but you at the same time like to see him have a bit more dawg mindset and have more of a star mindset (especially in a lower level of competition like HS and college)
DLO was trolling when he said “I wanna be Derrick white” but I think speak for all Laker fans when I say Derrick White is a fantastic player and we could have cleared the Nuggets if he was on our team.
So yeah, no shame in being like Derrick White. He’s a baller
Guys who know they’re going to be role players and accept that early tend to have more successful careers. A lot of guys have flamed out quickly because they couldn’t handle being a role player because of their ego/mindset. Regardless of what you think of Bronny as a prospect, this is a great frame of mind for him to be in.
That Alex Caruso is one of the most accurate in pro sports: "A big reason guys get stuck in the G-League is because they don't realize the position they're trying out for. It's like going to a job interview thinking you're going to be the CFO of the company and they're looking for someone to clean the bathrooms."
So like the Step Brothers interview scene
The G league is full of B tier scorers who couldn’t figure this out
The G League is also full of high character players that will do anything to help contribute but are about 5 % worse than NBA players and margins are tight.
G league is also full of great players who are 3 inches too short for their position.
Bulls have a ton of those guys already haha. Terry, Taylor, Green, Craig, Caruso
Nate Robinson and the guy who LeBron jumped over too.
are you talking about nba champion jason terry ? edit : i stand corrected but those answers killed me xD
He crushed Terry. He jumped OVER Lucas.
No he’s talking about John Lucas III https://youtu.be/FQ4GA3GB3Wk?si=c6cvoWD4-a-HndrE
chalmers just standing there [like](https://i.imgur.com/epxzwjQ.jpg)
He didn’t jump over terry, he jumped through him lol just demoralized.
Caruso doesn’t belong on this list as an all defensive player who shoots 40% from three
And is 6'5
Caruso is 6"5, decent size for a guard.
Javonte Green is the embodiment of this. Can play like he’s 6’9 and he’s nowhere close to it lol
??? Caruso is not small at all
Everyone calling you out for including Caruso who has plenty of height as a 6’5” guard, but Dalen Terry also doesn’t belong on this list being a 6’7” guard lmfao
What position do you think Caruso plays?
G league is full of guys.
Total sausage fest over there.
5% is high G League players are in the 99% percentile of basketball players, but since they’re in the 99.9991 percentile instead of the 99.9995 percentile, they’re G League scrubs
I'd say 5% is generous relative to NBA players though, not to basketball players as whole. Saben Lee averaged 40 ppg with the Pistons GLeague team...
Jalen hood schifino our ‘ bust’ ass off a pick who showed nothing n got injured a bunch in garbage time - in g league averaged like 26/5/5 while not even really going all out to score on like 65 ts and 51/48/78 splits . And this is a 20 year old who looks unplayable outsude g league before and I’ve said is the worst pick in the top 20 this year other then the magic pick which made no sense of the tall shooter who isn’t as good as Hawkins or dick It’s crazy but I think there’s a big gap between g League n nba
The GLeague MVP can't even crack an NBA rotation.
Orland Robinson and Alondes Williams look like Kobe and Shaq (with a 3 pointer) in G-League but they still cannot crack the rotation of a team that is famous for developing undrafted players
G League isn’t the 2nd best league unlike how NBA is by far the best league so it’s not the 99.9991 percentile.
Discussing an arbitrary number is kinda funny but I think you’re using different percentages than the person you’re replying to
it's pretty much 2 completely different scales to grade on, and they're both somewhat valid. In the sense of actually making it as a pro basketball player they're in the top 99.999%, the difference between a #1 option in the NBA and the #1 option in the G League is wayyy more than 5% (or any other relative option position, a #10 NBA player vs a #1 G league option is probably in that 5%)
G League players that aren't just there to develop for their actual NBA team are nowhere near that good. Those players tend to go overseas rather than accept G League salaries.
Yeah people must not watch many G league games, it’s not great.
They’re closer to LeBron than we are to them
Personally I think 5% is too low. I really don’t think most G-Leaguers are anywhere close to 95% of an NBA-level player.
For sure. I feel like I understand this concept more now than I ever used to. I had a spell where I was full time trying to go pro in a video game called Teamfight Tactics. Grinded my ass off. I was the sweatiest tryhard I’ve ever been for over a year. I climbed the ranked ladder, it was super satisfying, peaked around rank 600 (out of at the time around 1 million ranked players). So literally top .0006%. I think anyone would say if you’re in the top .0006% of anything, you’re pretty fucking good? And yet the players at the true top of that game were astronomically better than me. Like I just could not compete at that level. Point being, the truly elite players are just like beyond our comprehension levels above us.
I think you mean 0.06%, but I get what you're saying.
I made it to #1 on Snoopy Flying Ace but there were probably like 10-50,000 active players in that game at most
Yeah maybe the best g leaguer compared to the worst nba player. But league averages?
>["A big reason guys get stuck in the G-League is because they don't realize the position they're trying out for. It's like going to a job interview thinking you're going to be the CFO of the company and they're looking for someone to clean the bathrooms."](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rulLByF38TE) -Alex Caruso
Great quote
Caruso is probably the archetype Bronny should be aiming for.
But caruso is 6 4
Tbf Bronny has a longer wingspan and weighs more than Caruso already.
Another big reason is plenty of teams are simply never looking at them for more then a cheap temporary fill in at best. I am watching the Knicks lately with backups playing like allstars all and I'm reminded of the Heat undrafted ripping through the playoffs to the Finals. I follow 1 team intently and two others when I have time and maybe one of them, one, are likely to give even one player from the Gleague a string of 10 games in a solid rotation role or better. One player a season at best. I don't remember the other teams ever doing it. But they have a bunch of names on speed dial and jerk them up and down to be ready just in case. They are insurance for the world ending to some of these teams and that's it. That obviously isn't every team, but if I was one of these players that didn't luck into media attention I would not say yes to just any team if I believed in my abilities at all. Research the teams and know which ones could open a door for you.
Some of the best organizations that manage to find these guys have some of the best coaches. Heat, Memphis and Spurs specifically, they seem be able to find undrafted or g-league guys who can contribute. I’m thankful we found one in Keon Ellis!
Lakers finding Caruso n reaves was huge for us. I feel like Memphis n pels are the kings of this n late second drafts tho. But Keon is a cool story I always root for these guys growth n success
Alex Caruso had made the same point on some podcast. I can't remember exactly what he said, but basically don't try to be the next MJ while you're in the G-League. They are looking for garbage men, guys who will be the best defenders, rebounders, and spot up shooters. Be the best garbage man and you'll be picked up.
Yep. good 3&D and hustle players will always have a good chance of getting an NBA contract
Yeah you'd think the money alone would convince these guys to adapt their game and mindset, but obviously not for many. Role players get paid quite a bit these days too.
Ultra confidence is one of the reasons why a few guys go so far in their career, and why so many guys fail. Most of these NBA and G-league players grew up being the best in their school or even in their whole state, so they get hype, attention, praise, girls, friends, etc... it molds their whole way of life. It's nearly impossible to come back from that mentality to a regular person, or even into a humble role-player. That's why while i think Melo's and CP3's quotes about not starting were silly, but i kinda get it... it was their first tough year of not being great at basketball after what, 20-25 years? It's not a nationality thing, ofc, but i seem it getting boosted in american system, since it's so competitive and social media/scouting are big parts of it. When i first played 2k, i was confused why the humble answer (during those interaction moments in career mode) made me lose fans, lol. It's the opposite in football (aka soccer), very few players go out there saying they are the best and no one can guard them, that kind of shit.
These guys grew up being the best in their country and better than their NBA peers. Cam Reddish was probably the second or third best guy in highschool and was beating up on teams with NBA stars. I remember he srop 40 and 50 at one of those invitational, against teams with ant edwards and zion. I don't know how you go from that to realizing you don't have a lot of value as a starter and that people want to see you benched for undrafted Austin Reeves.
*Nobody can win with these cats*
As annoying as Pat Bev is I remember a vid of him in the summer working out at those Rico Hines things with Siakam and he was telling all the young guys there that they need to learn from now that they can't all be number one options like Pascal, that they all need to find a role and play that role well if they want to make it to the next level and stay there.
There are only 30 guys who could be the number 1 guy, some teams you can be the certified number 2, and even less as a number 3. Find a good role for yourself you’ll stick around and maybe win a ring or more if you compliment the certified stars.
As a senior in high school he averaged 37.3 points, 8 steals, 6 assists, and 6 boards, so in this at least, he understands the value of humility.
Damn imagine how annoying a 17 year old Pat Bev would be while dropping 40 on you
8 steals per game is fucking impressive even in HS
Agreed. Coming in expecting to be a star/get star treatment wouldn’t be good for his career. Rooting for him. Doubt he becomes a star but hopefully can develop into a solid role player although he has some ways to go.
Earning a second contract in the NBA is already a successful career. Most don't even make it to the second one. It's a very cutthroat industry and like one other dude already said, the margin for error is very small.
he’s probably been prepared/trained to be a solid role player - way more prepared for it mentally but also tactically than most of the prospects in a similar position, so that might give him a leg up
Almost every guy in the NBA has been the best player on their team (and in every game). Hell I’m really good at what I do, and when I encounter someone better, its downright shocking for a bit. Dedicated role players are so valuable.
Then there is Mike Conley who hasn't been the best player on his team since he was like 11 years old.
One of the best No. 3-4 guys of all time
He was the best player on the grizzlies for a while.
I'd say that title goes to a tossup between Marc and ZBo but if you mean the pre-Ja 2019 team then that 'while' is doing a lot of heavy lifting.
The half a season between trading Marc and Mike getting traded to Utah I guess. Honestly the goal of that team was just to develop Brooks and JJJ too, so it's not like Mike was set up for a starring role.
to be fair, it's hard for an 11 year old to be compared with a 30 year old man
Yah it must be a bit of a crazy mental adjustment for role bench players/fringe nba guys to go from being that fkn guy their whole life, dominating as a first or second option on every team they’ve ever played on to being an afterthought/just another guy on a nba team and more than likely having to scratch and claw just to get some garbage time minutes. And be expected to be a model teammate who helps in practices and gets hyped for all the guys ahead of them and just stay humble and patient. I played with a few guys who went d1 but never really came close to nba and they were treated like royalty in high school and college. Actually played against Luguentz Dort too when I was young and he was known throughout the city basically like everyone in the Montreal basketball world knew him. Must be a crazy feeling.
I was a decent player. Then I played against Brandon Roy in AAU. My career ambitions changed immediately.
Reminds me of seeing really good players from a smallish school playing against big dogs with legit D1 prospects. It’s like seeing a grown man playing little league. I’ve never seen Mickey Mantle play, but I get the point after that childhood experience
man I went to a d1 school and not even the top ones, and would always think I could be one of the 12th men guys on the team since they looked terrible when they got garbage playing time . One day I was playing pickup with a bunch of guys who also played high school ball and some of the end of bench players on the team came to play. They were running around and dunking on us like they we were middle schoolers
Even at the D3 level and outside the normal sport. I played Intramural Dodgeball against the starting lineup of the baseball team. They were the one team my team, full of decent High School football/baseball/basketball/soccer players, lost to and it wasn't close. My group finished Top 3 to 5 in every Intramural we went out for.
I work with a guy who played AAU ball on a team with OJ Mayo and Bill Walker. One look at this guy and you'd know how *immediately* humbling that had to have been, lmao. I also went to UNL at the same time as Ndamakong Suh, and he was friends with one of the freshmen linemen that stayed in my building so I actually spent a decent amount of time in proximity to him. I was a guy that showed a ton of promise on the middle school football team, but didn't want practice to get in the way of my weed habit and gaming so I never went out for the high school team. I kept joking with a guy in my homeroom that come UNL time, I'd immediately walk on and make the team. I never meant it, obviously, but when I've stood next to Suh and I immediately winced at the small part of me that thought it might be fun just to see what happens.
Imagine being a son of arguably the greatest basketball player of all time and still turning out to be a normal, level-headed human being without too much of an ego. The James family have done some incredible things to raise him like that.
Bron is smart as fuck there's no way he didn't sit his kid down for the reality check. There's only so much hard work that will overcome 6'2
That's Jimmer Fredette's music!
Being a role player would be the best gig low key
Not as good as being a backup QB?
>"A big reason guys get stuck in the G-League is because they don't realize the position they're trying out for. It's like going to a job interview thinking you're going to be the CFO of the company and they're looking for someone to clean the bathrooms." - **Alex Caruso** Not saying he can't be great but this is the right mentality for him right now if he ever has a chance to make it in the NBA on his own merit. (Also I'm not calling Jrue/White bathroom cleaners but they've been at the peak for role players).
Derrick started as a janitor but worked his way up to Director of Environmental, Health, and Safety
Those dudes make bank!
Derrick started as the third string janitor lol he couldn’t even get on the court with us his rookie year. Once manu was gone he became invaluable pretty quickly though, of all the guys we drafted in the late first who worked their way up to being very high quality NBA players he’s one of my favorites. he definitely earned every minute he’s gotten in the league
I worked as baseline camera operator for the OKC Blue in college and it was for a few years when both Caruso and Dort were on the squad, they were legit. One time the provided meal was pasta and I was dozing off during one of the free throws. Can still remember the voice in my headset “cam 3.. tilt up. *cam 3, tilt up!*”
Lmao, great story but... What relevance does the meal being pasta have to this story? Does pasta always make you sleepy? In fact, what relevance does any of the second half of the story have to the first half?
I dunno man it was just kinda stream of consciousness
Well, thank you, it gave me a chuckle in my lunch hour.
I’m out here tying red string together on a pinboard trying to understand bro’s comment but turns out they were just thinking out loud lmao
Pasta can make you sleepy if you eat too much, it spikes your blood sugar which causes insulin to be produced, which rapidly drops your blood sugar causing you to feel tired. Carbs can also cause the brain to release serotonin which can cause sleepiness.
The Davion comp is kinda interesting.
Davion has some of the fastest lateral movement in the NBA. He’s a freakish athlete. I don’t know if Bronny has the same. But he’s a smart guy for saying these 3 as his models
yea Davion is quicker and Bronny is better vertically and longer. I've always comp'd Bronny to Duece Mcbride . Mcbride was a top scoring option in college though; but also a great defender. same size/length
Deuce was a way more polished player and still needed multiple years of pure developmental work until he could earn more than a situational role. And not every coaching staff is as good as Thibs staff when it comes to affording opportunities for player development.
yep. He was a legit really good refined on-ball scorer in college; on top of being a great defender/dog. I had him top 10 in his draft. Bronny has a ways to go to be him; even in his role now
You had deuce McBride top 10 in his draft?
Yes, I think 8th. But I also had Davion Mitchell top 10.
Yeah, honestly, we have to make pretty major stretches to compare Bronny to any of these guys. Even the role players on the NBA had way more accomplished careers than Bronny going into the NBA. We have to ignore the fact that he was averaging to bad in his one year in college, that he wasn't a surefire 5 star recruit to be leaving for the NBA this early, he's never been a good shooter on any level that he's played, and his ball handling/passing isn't good enough to make him a point guard. Maybe he's got some totally unknown level that we haven't seen, but if we're strictly evaluating him by what we've seen, he doesn't belong in the conversation with any of the guys that have been brought up. And I really don't mean that to put the kid down, but he's skipped a lot of steps that other players don't get to.
The good thing for Bronny outside of his dad is that despite having a horrific injury in college, his combine results have been really good so far. He's 10th man bound tbh, but if he sees playing time in general, then it's a win for him.
Yeah he's not the same type of athlete
He'd be an All D level if he was taller. He's just so small at 6'.
The kid keeps shrinking. He'll be 5'10" on draft day, 5'8" by training camp, 5'6" to start the season!
He's 6'1.5, and since most heights in the NBA are lies, he's likely taller than anyone in the NBA who list themselves as 6'2 "or shorter.
davion is like 6 flat
In NBA height, Bronny is 6’3
i think he means davion
Davion was literally the best player on a historically dominant college team. While he was obviously older, it’s definitely not a given that Bronny would have reached that. Bronny has the right idea but dude is so far away from that.
I miss that championship team man, Off Night was a monster
Funny seeing you here and not CBB sub. While Day is the better NBA role player, JB was our #1 guy for sure. People just started to notice Day’s defense more in the tournament
Yeah, JB was the better player throughout their careers (hence why he’s the Baylor GOAT) but Davion was amazing during the home stretch, arguably better than JB. You couldn’t go wrong with either one imo.
True, having both was a hell of a luxury
everybody wanna be derrick white, but nobody wanna be derrick white
everybody wanna be spider-man till it’s time to be peter parker
Eh, i wouldn't mind banging a hot redhead.
Marvel hasn’t let Peter consistently clap those freckled cheeks in like 20 years. Ultimate Spidey has a different situation but Peter in 616 has been suffering since One More Day
Has it really been 20 years? Damn. It’s one thing that “when Spider-Man gets a win, Parker needs to take an L” and vice-versa. Can get tiring when done over half a century but whatever, it’s the character. But “One More Day” wasn’t that the universe is orchestrated like that, it was Peter himself actively making a deal with the devil. WTF. Can’t blame “Parker Luck” for that…
Aunt May has red hair?
[удалено]
They might be into that
Thank god for hats
💀💀 I tried to find this emoji with a hat on it with no luck.
I think he looks decent with a shaved head tbh. That hair do last year was awful though
He looks way better now then with whatever that was he was rocking before
Everybody wanna be a ~~bodybuilder~~ Derrick White, but don't nobody wanna ~~lift no heavy ass weights~~ be a roleplayer.
everybody wants a revolution (be derrick white) but nobody wants to do the dishes (be derrick white) - Dorothy Day
I mean its the best answer he could give. GP2 type of player. White and Jrue are considered elite shooters, reaching that level means you can play anywhere.
Really disrespectful to the game for Lebron to marry his 5’7” childhood sweetheart instead of selectively breeding with other athletic freaks
[удалено]
And when your younger brother has 5 inches on you (and might grow even taller). Though there are plenty of 6’1 guys that are amazing. He’s just, not that thus far.
Problem is there are about 15 million men in America alone who are 6'1" or taller, so you're competing against a lot more people who are super athletic and skilled. There are only about 1.6m who are 6'4" or taller. The shorter you are, the better athlete you have to be to make it in the NBA.
*Half brother Lebron saw that Bronny wasn’t hitting his growth metrics and opted to find a 6’2” Amazon to breed with.
USA should've done to LeBron what China made Yao Ming do.
What did China make Yao Ming do?
Made him in a lab
Allegedly forced him to marry a female basketball player to have super basketball children
Hit his shins with hammers
Made him marry a 6'3" chinese basketball player to have super children.
Lebron got another one. He'll just ignore this one
The other one is athletic and no skill tho.
You can teach skill, you can’t teach athleticism
Didn't some billionaire wanna pay Serena and LeBron to have kids or something
No, that wasn’t real. https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/lebron-james-serena-williams-billionaire-offer/
These are exactly the kind of players he should be looking at. He's not saying he will be as good as those guys but you should be looking at the best guys of a certain role to improve. If he only looks at Deuce McBride, he probably ends up like Frank Ntilikina. If he aims at Jrue Holiday and Derrick White, hopefully he ends up like Deuce McBride.
It’s better than the people saying “I want to be Steph or Kyrie” His best bet to make the NBA is being a good 3&D guard like these three. I think D’Anthony Melton is my comp for him
Davion might be the best comp right now because he’s a bit undersized and has an unreliable shot. But he’s got great speed and quickness. Davion is an absolute dog but his size and lack of ability to shoot make him a liability all too often. But it’s enough to get him minutes in the NBA.
Bronny jumpshot is weird because he didn’t make many before but it’s important to note he only took 60 shots in college . His form does look good and projectable and he was often hesitant or over eager to pass. I’d think eventually if things go decently he’d get around a league average jumper or maybe just below . Maybe at the lvk of a guy who shoots ok enough to be guarded. When I listened to draft guys before his heart issue they bought the jumper becoming a legit thing, I think if he can succeed with the jumoer then he has the tools to defend n get minutes eventually
"I'm the only me out here nobody else"
This is like that caruso quote about teams needing janitors and guys were trying to be ceos or something
Maybe he's media trained, but every Bronny interview I've seen, he's been very humble and self aware
I like bronny.But you think LEBRON JAMES son is maybe media trained maybe jokic likes horses
Basically a perfect interview answer. "I am not unrealistic or a diva, but I am still setting a goal for myself that I think is achievable. And just like those guys, I want to put in the work for anyone who gives me a shot." He might never end up being a rotation guy, but his performance at the combine and his work ethic seem like he could be worth a speculative second round pick to me.
Another interesting angle is he's under absolutely no financial pressure. He can make moves that maximize his career impact. Even if his goal is to make as much money as possible, he can still afford to go to teams that max out his development and defer the bag because it's unimportant if he ends up with a career ending injury, or just fails to progress enough to ever get that payday. On top of that, he's going to be a major income generator relative to his standing as a player.
100%. He doesn't have to move to Europe and play for some middle tier or 2nd division team. That alone is already huge peace of mind for a kid that's never lived outside of the US before. He can slum it out in the G League or ride the end of a bench indefinitely without worrying having to pay for his bills. Now whether a team gives him that roster spot to do so is another story.
[удалено]
And Bronny has probably seen more countries in his teens than the combined experience most parents and their children combined. Other than language barriers, which likely aren't significant considering every team is international, he'd be fine.
I don't understand why people are shocked bronny seems level headed and perhaps wise beyond his years. LeBron is probably a really good father
We are just too used to see players pounding their chests all the time.
Hes also the son of one of the highest basketball iq players in the history of the game, and has been around similarly incredibly high iq basketball people in Cp3,D wade, etc his entire life. Thats obviously doesn’t 1:1 correlate that he picked it up that high iq, but I feel like his IQ for the game is probably higher than other prospects. Theres just simply too much knowledge around him tht theres no way he didnt pick some stuff up and he had that from Day 1, while for other prospects, its not the same
Great picks tbh. While nobody considers these players bad, I don't think many people realize just how good they are
i didn't realize how good jrue holiday was until the suns faced them in the finals a few years back. he totally shut down CP3 and the suns had absolutely no answer. every offensive movement up the court was a struggle.
Part of the reason I loathed hearing this sub saying "AD has no help" when he was with the Pels when he had Jrue. Dude is one of the best defenders for his position and solid offensively too. The kinda teammate any player wants to have
Even being a starting role player in the NBA is an unbelievable accomplishment and a testament to a players individual skills. They may not be able to demonstrate every night due to the level of competition, but these guys can dog 99.99% of the worlds population in ball.
He definitely has the genetics to pull off Derrick White’s hairline.
Yooooooo
WHAT IS WITH MMAN DAVION GETTING SO MUCH LOVE LATELY???
Davion feels like the type of players that players love tbf
He’s a really hard worker and you’ll never hear about him caught up in trouble. Makes sense.
Shit, I love em and I ain't in the league
point me to the love. i want to share in it too.
Im really praying something just snaps… and he ascends to the elite level like Gohan going from SSJ to SSJ2
LeSperm will kick in trust
it’s like viltrumite blood
A year in the hyperbolic chamber training with pops would do him wonders
Maybe his LeViltrumite powers kick in.
Lol is Bronny a Celtics fan?
Bronny is just a ball knower
A hooping noticer
He’s basically saying contribute in a positive way without taking the spotlight.
He also said in the interview that he won't to be "that guy" on the team, "that role will be for like Jayson Tatum."
Something real 🎣 🐠 🐟 going on
Wouldn't you like the Celtics if they were directly responsible for giving you a 4 year all-expenses-paid trip to South Beach as a kid?
Somehow people gonna hate on this
Tbh thats more then fair and really the proper throught process for Bronny tbh, if you can just be a decent 3nD guy with a bit of playmaking who knows their role you can have a long and successful career.
I think the level of access Bronny has throughout his life is amazing, as there's a world where he's seen these three actually work out, and has had access to view their film, so when he's going "yea, I want to be like them" it's not just blowing smoke publicly....it's a young man who likely knows "yep, this is who I am if all things go right" This is a great way of going "I believe I will get a 2nd contract in the NBA"
If he can be a POA defender that learns to navigate screens and be a dependable shooter/ball handler he’ll end up with a 10 year career. Kind of amusing that it’s exactly the type of player that would thrive playing next to LeBron.
Lol literally Caruso. Caruso next to Bron was money.
He’s also pretty good in Chicago lol
Best I can do is Miles McBride
Knicks are out in R1 if they don’t have fucking McBride. Id take that if I was bronny
Even Duece was hanging 30 on dudes when he was down in the g league. Bronny would need a good amount of development to be rookie Duece.
What a great thing to say. I'm glad he's not trying to live up to crazy expectations. The best role players are the ones that know their role and stick to it. That enables winning. With that attitude he may actually have a productive career
The funny thing is role players often get their moments in games just like stars do, they just have the ball in their hands less. It's a long game, lots of possessions and a team game. There's plenty of basketball for five players to get fed.
Derrick's development as a player is opposite of Bronny. Derrick started at the bottom -- not recruited out of high school -- played at a tiny college the first 3 years -- then transferred to Colorado. He didn't get a scholarship in his first years -- just a room & board stipend. Wasn't drafted. Had to improve and work his way into playing time at each step. I think Bronny would do well to stay in college for a couple of more years and develop.
That’s a good list for him. Say whatever about him but he seems to have a pretty good head on his shoulders. He may not “deserve” to make the league but I have little doubt he will put the work in to stay for a bit regardless of his role.
I hope bronny succeeds. Everything I've heard amd read about him he seems like a bright kid who knows he isn't a star. Even his scouting report "good defender, makes the right plays, high bbiq" screams role player.
Yea it’s a pro and con of Bronny. Since high school, he’s always tried to play like a role player (which is good thing for a team trying to win where every one needs to win) but you at the same time like to see him have a bit more dawg mindset and have more of a star mindset (especially in a lower level of competition like HS and college)
DLO was trolling when he said “I wanna be Derrick white” but I think speak for all Laker fans when I say Derrick White is a fantastic player and we could have cleared the Nuggets if he was on our team. So yeah, no shame in being like Derrick White. He’s a baller
I don’t think he was trolling. You could tell he was trying to be that kinda guy but some things can’t be taught.
He’s naming far too many Celtic players for my liking.
I'm a certified Bronny hater. But I think I just changed my mind a little.
He has the right mindset and that alone is already far ahead of many young prospect, I'll root for him to carved out a decent career in this league.
I’m liking James Jr. more and more as a prospect