Paul George might be the unofficial president of Ace Bailey’s fan club.
And the 76ers forward isn’t the only current or former NBA player raving about Bailey’s NBA potential.
“To me, Ace Bailey’s the No. 1 pick,” former Sacramento Kings star DeMarcus Cousins said during an episode of Run It Back on FanDuel TV. “I think he’s the closest thing we’ve seen to [Hall of Famer] Tracy McGrady.”
Not everyone agrees, though. One league scout said he likes the Rutgers forward’s upside, but he feels Bailey is a ways away from contributing to an NBA championship roster.
Another scout said Duke forward Cooper Flagg and Rutgers point guard Dylan Harper are the only can’t-miss prospects in this year’s NBA draft, which is June 25-26. The scout also said Baylor guard VJ Edgecombe and Texas guard Tre Johnson could be better than Bailey. And a third scout said Bailey, if he’s not careful, could become an NBA bust.
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So which is it? Is he an elite prospect? Or should the Sixers should avoid the 6-foot-8, 202-pounder with the third pick of the draft?
The Dallas Mavericks intend to select Flagg first overall, while the San Antonio Spurs are expected to draft Harper second.
After that, one scout believes the next three or four draft prospects basically are the same. The scout said that he would investigate whether the Charlotte Hornets (fourth) or Utah Jazz (fifth) want to move up, if he were Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey.
The scout believes the Sixers could slide back a few slots in the draft to get additional assets while taking Edgecombe or Johnson.
Either way, the Sixers have said they intend to use and keep their pick amid rumors of potentially trading it to acquire a star to pair with Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey.
And it’s no secret who George thinks is their best option.
“What I love about [Bailey], man, is, I think he has big-time potential,” George said in a recent episode of Podcast P with Paul George. “He has big-time talent. He can score from any spot on the floor. He has an isolation game, which you don’t see that often in kids that size, that early. He can make plays.”
It’s the third time he’s publicly hyped Bailey, and George added that the 18-year-old can shoot over the top of defenses, take advantage of mismatches, and handle the ball in pick-and-rolls.
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“He can catch and shoot,” George said. “He can defend. If there was no Cooper Flagg, Ace Bailey would have been an even bigger name that people would have been talking about in this draft. … I think he’s going to come into the league and make noise right away.”
Bailey, who was the No. 2 player in the Class of 2024 behind Flagg, averaged 17.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 1.3 assists during his lone season at Rutgers. The Chattanooga, Tenn., native displayed a knack for making tough shots. And, like George pointed out, he can score in a variety of ways.
However, Bailey’s inconsistent ballhandling skills make it tough for him to consistently create separation from defenders and get to the rim. And while he makes difficult shots, Bailey settles too much for them, often at the expense of easier looks at the rim.
Critics also point out Rutgers’ 15-17 record despite having two projected top three picks in Bailey and Harper. If Bailey’s such a dominant force comparable to Hall of Famers, why couldn’t he elevate teammates against Big Ten competition?
Supporters point out that Rutgers didn’t have any shot creators besides Bailey and Harper, which led to the team’s struggles.
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“I [expletive] love Ace, his skill set, and his will to get to a spot and his will to work on certain [stuff],” Hall of Famer Carmelo Anthony said on George’s podcast. “He’s really — he’s relentless working on, like, spots on the court.
“We’ve seen Ace before. That’s why it’s not talked about like that. We’ve seen Ace, we’ve seen PGs, we’ve seen [Kevin Garnetts], we’ve seen [Tracy McGradys], we’ve seen Melos, we’ve seen Jayson [Tatums]. … We haven’t seen — and not to make this Black and white — but we haven’t seen a white boy like [Flagg]. This is why we want to see that even more. We are going to hear about it even more. And you ain’t going to hear about Ace as much.”
We’ll find out next month what the Sixers decide. We’ll also learn after that if Bailey’s criticism or praise is warranted.
