Amid all the fascination with Bronny at No. 55, NBA history says that pick rarely leads to stardom

AP Basketball Writer

Amid all the fascination over the Los Angeles Lakers drafting Bronny James this year, there’s a story about No. 55 picks that is worth remembering.

When the Portland Trail Blazers used the 55th pick in the 2009 NBA draft on Patty Mills, nobody expected much of anything. Nate McMillan coached Portland at that time and wasn’t planning on keeping him on the team. Kevin Pritchard was the general manager then; he, too, wasn’t planning on keeping Mills on the team.

But owner Paul Allen overruled them both and Mills got the final roster spot as a rookie. Allen was right in predicting that Mills had great potential. Mills became an NBA champion and Olympic medalist.

“I’m a competitor,” Mills — now with Utah and about to enter his 16th NBA season — said last season when reflecting on his professional and international career. “I always love challenges. I’ve always been that way.”

Bronny James is likely going to have to adopt that approach.

The son of the NBA’s career scoring leader LeBron James, Bronny was the No. 55 pick in this year’s draft by the Lakers — his dad’s team. The Lakers knew when they made the pick that it would be a lightning rod for criticism, some saying that Bronny’s numbers at USC last season hardly merited an NBA shot, others crying nepotism or that the team was simply currying favor with his father.

And yes, Bronny’s father is happy about playing with his kid. No question.

“With Bronny being here too, I don’t want to take this moment for granted,” LeBron James said. “I’ve always kind of never (given) myself an opportunity to kind of just take in the moments. But this is the moment that I may enjoy a little bit more than just like my actual self.”

If the worst statistical case happens for the Lakers — that Bronny James never makes a meaningful contribution toward winning — it wouldn’t exactly be an indictment of the pick. In fact, the odds suggest that’s exactly what’s going to happen, because that’s usually been the case with No. 55 picks.

Out of the last 30 drafts, there have been only two No. 55 picks who have scored more than 1,500 points in their NBA careers. Mills is one. E’Twaun Moore is the other. (Aaron Wiggins might get there this season.) Only 11 of those picks scored more than 100 points in the league. Nearly half — 13 of the 30 — have exactly zero points in their NBA careers. And a third of them never even got into a game.

Which begs the question: What’s the big deal?

“I think the pressure on him — the inherent pressure on him — is a little different than most second-round picks, most 20 year olds,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said. “But I don’t sense any nerves. For us, the thing we talk about with him is you just have to be more consistent with your energy and effort every day.”

That was not a criticism. Bronny James has had good moments and bad moments. All rookies do. But with “James” on the back of his jersey, with his father already having shared the court with him — the league’s first father-son duo in a game — during the preseason and with the expectation that it’ll happen for real once the regular season starts, everything gets magnified in a big way.

“I’m thrilled that I get to be a part of this. I really am. I’ve said that a few times,” Redick said. “It’s cool as a basketball fan. I think it speaks to LeBron’s certainly longevity but also his competitive stamina that he’s able to still be doing this in Year 22. It speaks to the work that Bronny has put in to get to this point. … He’s such a great kid. He’s a pleasure to be around.”

A look at No. 55 picks in recent years:

Four No. 55 draft picks played in NBA games last season

There were four No. 55 picks who appeared in an NBA game last season. They were Aaron Wiggins (the 2021 pick, 78 games with Oklahoma City), Patty Mills (the 2009 pick, 19 games with Atlanta and 13 more with Miami), Gui Santos (the 2022 pick, 23 games with Golden State) and Isaiah Wong (the 2023 pick, one game with Indiana).

Five No. 55 picks have averaged at least 10 points in a season

Even going back to when the NBA draft was more than two rounds, there are only five players taken at No. 55 who have averaged at least 10 points in a season.

Mills did it six times. Mark Blount (drafted in 1997) had three such seasons, Moore (drafted in 2011) had two, while Kenny Gattison (drafted in 1986) and Em Bryant (drafted in 1964) each did it once.

And Blount is a bit of a technicality. He’s recognized by the NBA as the 55th pick but was the 54th player selected. Washington forfeited its first-round pick that year, so that draft essentially went from No. 28 to close the opening round to No. 30 at the start of the second round.

Low expectations for any NBA player drafted at No. 55

Combined, all of the players who were the 55th name called at their drafts have averaged 6.2 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game.

They’ve scored a combined 28,364 points. That’s 12,110 points less than LeBron James has scored by himself in regular-season contests.

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