Confounding to some and complicated to others, the pre-draft place of high prospect Ace Bailey moved to the rear-view mirror as he prepares for skilled basketball life with the Utah Jazz.
Utah chosen Bailey fifth total on Wednesday, a call that Jazz president of basketball operations Austin Ainge mentioned was very simple regardless of public concern concerning the Rutgers ahead refusing to work out for groups earlier than the 2025 NBA Draft.
“We do loads of background calls and work on guys and everybody loves being round Ace,” Ainge mentioned. “He is enjoyable, smiles day-after-day. Only a breath of recent air within the fitness center. We have been capable of converse with him. He was tremendous excited. We’re tremendous excited. We’re anticipating a really shiny future.”
No. 2 total decide Dylan Harper (San Antonio Spurs), Bailey’s school teammate at Rutgers, described him because the lifetime of the locker room in New Jersey. The Tennessee child raised in Atlanta was the No. 2 highschool prospect behind Cooper Flagg getting into school. Earlier than pre-draft posturing modified the equation, many felt Bailey could be in San Antonio as an alternative of Harper.
Bailey mentioned he is able to give attention to the sport on the court docket after a enterprise into the enterprise aspect {of professional} hoops earlier than the draft.
“I am very younger. I am simply coming to the sport, so there’s loads of stuff I can enhance, bodily and mentally,” Bailey mentioned. “I imply, from bounce photographs to extra creativity, to extra ballhandling, simply everywhere.”
Ainge mentioned the Jazz have been interested in Bailey’s offensive sport and athleticism as a lot as potential to be a lockdown defender.
“He is very expert for his dimension. When watching movie on him, I used to be impressed along with his defensive effort and particularly his rebounding. A number of weakside blocked photographs,” Ainge mentioned.
Bailey, 18, was one among two gamers to landed with the Jazz within the first spherical. Florida level guard Walter Clayton Jr. was acquired in a commerce with the Washington Wizards.
Ainge mentioned the Jazz sat down earlier this month and tried to check what the right draft evening would possibly seem like. With Spherical 1 within the books, Ainge mentioned the Jazz, who completed with the NBA’s worst report final season however fell to No. 5 total within the lottery, hit the jackpot.
“We sat down and checked out our picks and mentioned, ‘What could be one of the best case situation?’ And these have been the 2 guys we actually wished,” Ainge mentioned. “We really feel very lucky and are excited to have them within the household.”
–Subject Stage Media
