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Rutgers’ Ace Bailey’s Bewitching Talent Should Charm East Team

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Rutgers Scarlet Knights forward Ace Bailey (4) shoots the ball

No 2025 NBA Draft prospect has received as much hype as Duke freshman Cooper Flagg, but Rutgers freshman Ace Bailey comes close.

Rutgers’ Ace Bailey’s Bewitching Talent Should Charm Wizards

Ranked as the consensus No. 2 high school recruit in the Class of 2024, Bailey’s size, shot-making, and defensive impact give him a legitimate chance to be the No. 1 pick. In every game, he makes multiple plays that scream future superstar. Flagg is the better facilitator, possessing a better feel for a team-oriented style of play. However, while that’s important, it might be the only area where he’s more valuable than the Scarlet Knights forward.

Bailey’s supernatural scoring ability and penchant for making winning plays at the defensive end is a formula that’s led to many All-Star games and quite a few NBA championships

At 6-foot-10, Bailey has often drawn comparisons to Philadelphia 76ers forward Paul George. That may be a bit off-base, as George has better playmaking instincts and a more advanced ball-handling package. However, Bailey’s touch is so soft that he doesn’t need many dribbles to score. As a result, he’s also been in conversations with Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum. The only problem is that Tatum is more fixated on passing and less focused on the midrange than Bailey.

That being said, Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant may be Bailey’s best parallel. Durant’s buttery touch is a level above his, at least right now. Nonetheless, they have similar physical attributes, shot-selection, movement, strengths, and weaknesses.

Replacing Kyle Kuzma

There are at least four young players who the Washington Wizards see as part of their core, now and for the foreseeable future: Bilal Coulibaly, Alex Sarr, Bub Carrington, and Kyshawn George. In addition to that quartet are veterans Jordan Poole and Corey Kispert.

As of now, the players among that group with the potential to be a dominant scorer and defender are Poole, Coulibaly, Carrington, and Sarr. That’s not a bad sign at all, as there are multiple teams that have fewer young players with high-end two-way upside. However, as Washington continues to build their core, it’s clear that they need to add a frontcourt piece in that same mold.

To that point, Kyle Kuzma is generally inefficient outside of the paint. He’s also a weak on-ball defender. Furthermore, he’s the only Wizards player who has consistently been involved in trade talks, and that’s likely not a coincidence. At 29 years old, Kuzma’s playing his prime years for a rebuilding team. That’s not ideal for him, if his ambition involved winning meaningful games, nor the franchise.

Bailey is none of those things. Though he’s a power finisher, he’s sensational outside of the paint because of how well he can create space and shoot even when the defense is tight. The 18-year-old might not take a three-point attempt every five minutes, but he’s a reliable and natural jump shooter.

Fitting In, Standing Out

Bailey pretty much stays in his lane.

This is actually pretty beneficial to the Wizards. Though skill development and diversification is important, guys can run into issues constantly trying to make plays that are out of their wheelhouse. That’s been the case for Kuzma the last couple of years as he tries to expand his offensive game.

Bailey isn’t going to try to become a point-forward his rookie year. He isn’t go from being a three-level scorer to three-point specialist. He has to fine-tune his game and be coachable, but that doesn’t mean he’s going to change who he is as a player.

Nor should he.

While Coulibaly, Carrington, and Sarr continue to grow as scorers, Bailey’s preternatural shot-making abilities make him an ideal fit alongside them. Additionally, Carrington, Poole, Sarr, George, and Coulibaly relieve pressure off him as a playmaker. Indeed, he’s likely to make a lot of plays off of their feeds. With Kispert and George in the rotation, he doesn’t have to stand in the corner like he was punted there. Instead, he can get to his ‘kill spots.’

Like the Titan, Atlas, Bailey raises the Wizards’ floor and ceiling. Yet, he won’t be stepping on his teammates’ toes, just matching their steps. At the end of the day, despite having the potential to be their top scorer down the line, he can stand out while fitting in.

That’s what every team with a top pick should dream of.

The post Rutgers’ Ace Bailey’s Bewitching Talent Should Charm East Team appeared first on Last Word On Basketball.