Confounding to some and complicated to others, the pre-draft place of prime prospect Ace Bailey moved to the rear-view mirror as he prepares for skilled basketball life with the Utah Jazz.
Utah chosen Bailey fifth general on Wednesday, a choice that Jazz president of basketball operations Austin Ainge stated 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 quite a lot of background calls and work on guys and everybody loves being round Ace,” Ainge stated. “He is enjoyable, smiles day-after-day. Only a breath of contemporary air within the health club. We had been in a position to converse with him. He was tremendous excited. We’re tremendous excited. We’re anticipating a really vivid future.”
No. 2 general choose 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 coming into school. Earlier than pre-draft posturing modified the equation, many felt Bailey can be in San Antonio as an alternative of Harper.
Bailey stated he is able to concentrate on the sport on the court docket after a enterprise into the enterprise facet {of professional} hoops earlier than the draft.
“I am very younger. I am simply coming to the sport, so there’s quite a lot of stuff I can enhance, bodily and mentally,” Bailey stated. “I imply, from soar photographs to extra creativity, to extra ballhandling, simply far and wide.”
Ainge stated the Jazz had been drawn to Bailey’s offensive sport and athleticism as a lot as potential to be a lockdown defender.
“He is very expert for his measurement. When watching movie on him, I used to be impressed along with his defensive effort and specifically his rebounding. A variety of weakside blocked photographs,” Ainge stated.
Bailey, 18, was considered one of 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 stated the Jazz sat down earlier this month and tried to ascertain what the right draft night time may appear to be. With Spherical 1 within the books, Ainge stated the Jazz, who completed with the NBA’s worst file final season however fell to No. 5 general within the lottery, hit the jackpot.
“We sat down and checked out our picks and stated, ‘What can be the most effective case state of affairs?’ And these had been the 2 guys we actually needed,” Ainge stated. “We really feel very lucky and are excited to have them within the household.”
–Discipline Stage Media
