I’m just going to start this with this quote from ESPN’s most recent mock draft: “Bailey's predraft workout strategy has perplexed some observers, as he has yet to conduct a single known workout to date, having declined invitations from several teams within his draft range. Sources say Bailey's camp has informed interested teams that they believe he is a top-3 player in the draft, but also seeks a clear pathway to stardom.”
Okay. The truth is probably somewhere in between these two extremes, but I do want to identify them off top:
The one thought is that Ace, his team, and his trainers have good, solid, stable reason to project his career arc into the future as one of the three best players in this class. Also, not only does Ace’s personal team have this information, this information is factually correct. It’s not hard to find numbers that lead to the conclusion you want. Maybe in Ace Bailey’s world, he has all the earned confidence to be going this route. Just demanding the respect he thinks he deserves.
The other thought is that Ace and his team have an unduly high opinion of themselves. Either they’re trying to bluff with a strong-arm move or they actually believe they are really, really strong. Even if they are, teams don’t really like it when your first impression is telling them to sod off. Teams remember these things. This might be a dig on his mental motor. These workouts are a tryout for the drafting team, not a special edition live event for the draftees to show off their bag. This is a goofy move.
One of these two feels closer to the truth.
It’s hard to believe that teams are going to be positively swayed by Ace Bailey’s pre-draft demeanor
It’s atypical behavior, for sure. Looking at his agent’s clientele, it seems like Ace is the most high-profile client they manage. It could just be that the idea of having someone who was, for a long time anyway, mentioned as the No. 1A to Cooper Flagg’s No. 1. That was before people had seen him play more. At this point? They might be punching above their weight.
It’s very difficult to see any team in the top of the lottery taking a swing on him if he hasn’t worked out for them yet. Though the article mentions he’s scheduled to work out with the 76ers, that’s it.
The article also speculates that he might be looking for a landing spot lower in the lottery. Well, if that’s what he wants, he might get it this way. We’ll see how it works out in just about a week.