It looks like Utah Jazz fifth-overall pick Ace Bailey has dropped a couple of spots in the official NBA rookie ladder.
Per Steve Aschburner’s Kia Rookie Ladder via NBA.com, Bailey wound up falling from ranked number seven to nine amongst this year’s rookie class, as Dallas Mavericks’ top pick Cooper Flagg found his way atop the list.
“Another rookie whose move into the starting lineup has made a big difference. Off the bench for his first nine games, Bailey averaged 5.9 points on 6.5 field-goal attempts, shooting 33.9% and 22.1% on threes. As a starter over the past 14 games, he has put up 13.1 ppg on 10.5 shots while making 49% (40%). Playing with four other starters has improved his plus/minus from a -10.9 nightly to -1.7.”
Ace Bailey Ranks Ninth on NBA Rookie Ladder
Two names wound up surging past the Jazz rookie in the newest batch of rankings: Bailey’s former Rutgers teammate and second-overall pick, Dylan Harper, and surprisingly, undrafted Mavericks guard Ryan Nembhard, giving Dallas two players in the top ten.
Bailey, while he could certainly present a bit better efficiency on the offensive end, and will likely need a bit more on a numbers-basis in order to keep climbing up the ladder against a bunch of first-year players, has still shown a nice batch of positive traits in his initial sample size on the floor for the Jazz to offer a ton of optimism for what’s ahead.