The Philadelphia 76ers hold the No. 3 overall pick in Wednesday’s NBA Draft, and with a consensus on the top two picks (Cooper Flagg and Dylan Harper), many point to Philly’s decision as the spot where the Draft really begins.
Rutgers forward Ace Bailey has the talent and upside to be an intriguing option at No. 3, but there are concerns about his approach to the pre-Draft process and his desires to take on a starring role immediately. Bailey hasn’t worked out for any team in the run up to the Draft, including canceling on the Sixers last minute. As such, his stock seems to be dropping and he might slide out of the top 5.
On Tuesday, 76ers star Paul George released a new episode of Podcast P and his cohosts asked about the Bailey situation. Where most players would avoid that kind of topic, George didn’t hesitate to call out Bailey.
“I mean, I think if I’m Ace Bailey I can’t get mad if my stock drops,” George said. “But, he’s canceled all workouts. Like he hasn’t worked out for any team. So, I think they made a big deal cause we were scheduled to work him out and he canceled the day of. But he hasn’t worked out for any team. But, you’re not in a position to be making those demands. Make it to the league first. It’s for sure the people around him. I don’t know whose representing him, but I don’t think they’re going about it the right way.”
George is certainly not alone in feeling this way, as Bailey’s approach to the pre-Draft process creates a reputation that will take some time to shake once he gets into the NBA. George said this is more a problem of bad advice from those representing him and guiding him in the process rather than being a character issue on Bailey’s side, but unfortunately no matter who it is calling the shots here, it reflects poorly on him.
If the Sixers end up drafting Bailey, it will be fascinating to see how he meshes with a team that has three All-Stars on it, and even more so when one of those was publicly critical of how he handled things this summer.
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