76ers Draft News: Ace Bailey Is The CLEAR Choice For The Sixers At #3 Overall In The 2025 NBA Draft

76ers Draft News: Ace Bailey Is The CLEAR Choice For The Sixers At #3 Overall In The 2025 NBA Draft

Welcome into 76ers now. I am Jake Chipper. On today’s show, going to be talking about Ace Bailey, the forward out of Ruters and why I think he is the pick for the 76ers at number three overall in the 2025 NBA draft. full scattering report strikes weaknesses as well to paint a full picture of who he is as a prospect. Before we get into that, us here at 76ers now are in a tight race with Nick Rolloff and the Miami Heat Report at Chat Sports to 25,000 subscribers. You know, they have a little bit of a lead over us right now, just under a 1,000 subscriber lead, but we’re trying to catch up and we’re trying to beat them to get to 25K subs. So, help us out if you’re looking for a place to get all your Sixers news and rumors this off seasonason on the draft and free agency. Subscribe to the channel and help us catch and beat the Heat Report. So, just a quick reminder and a refresher on the draft lottery results and the official order of the 2025 NBA draft. The Mavericks get lucky, jump up to number one. They’re going to be landing Cooper flag after trading away Luca Donuch. Nico Harrison, the luckiest man on planet Earth. And the Spurs jump up to number two. I’m assuming that they’re going to be going with Ace Bailey’s teammate Dylan Harper at second overall. If they don’t take him, I could see them trading the pick maybe to Milwaukee. they could take him regardless. I think Dylan Harper will go number two. So, that leads us to the Sixers at number three where I do believe Ace Bailey should be the pick. Now, quick overview. If you aren’t familiar with Ace Bailey, I know some of you probably are Ruckers fans out there, but for those of you who weren’t dialed into Ruters basketball, Ace Bailey is a forward at 610, about 200 lb, will be still just 18 years old at the time of the draft, but will be 19 years old this upcoming season. Now, more on his physicals, just from a physical comparison, this is not comparing their games, the way they play, anything like that. This is purely from a physical standpoint. Ace Bailey measured in very similarly to Jason Tatum when he was coming out of Duke. Ace Bailey a little bit older but around the same height. Ace Bailey between, you know, about 6’9, 610, about the same weight and a huge wingspan at over 7 foot and a longer standing reach, but very very similar there. So again, not talking about their games whatsoever, but from a physical standpoint, very, very similar to what Jason Tatum was coming out of Duke. Now, this past year for Ruters, you know, not a very good year for that team, but you saw a lot of the scoring potential and what Ace Bailey could be at over 17 points, seven rebounds at that 69610 height, over one block a game. And when you consider the type of shots he was having to take with the teammates around him and how many shots he was taking every single game, the efficiency honestly is not all that bad. And we’ll get into more of his offensive profile here in a second. But first, I want to throw it over to Jay Kyle Man of the Ringer. In their most recent mock draft after the lottery, the Ringer had Ace Bailey going to the Sixers. And this is what Jay Kyle Man had to say. I really respect his opinion on the NBA draft. Bailey doesn’t have to become a superstar to make an impact in the NBA. His something from nothing shotmaking, even without taking a single dribble, will be a helpful option when possessions go south. And once some easy offense comes into his life after he trudged through possessions at Ruckers, it’s highly possible his strengths will pop even more than they did in college. There will be more hands on the cook line in Philly to throw easy buckets his way. added some glimpses of big-time help defense and it’s clear that he can fit into what the Sixers are doing in the short term as his more fantastic long-term possibilities threaten to materialize. That’s a good overview there of what Ace Bailey is as a prospect and a little more of a deep dive now into his strengths, his weaknesses, how he projects coming into the NBA and why I like him so much as a prospect for Philadelphia where he really excels. And the first thing you’ll notice about his game is his shot making from all over the floor with a ball in his hands or coming off screens. His pull-up shooting is phenomenal. He can hit fadeaways. He can at runners run into the corner off a screen, catch and shoot, pull up with no hesitation. And with his height, his release point is so high that it’s almost impossible to truly contest his shots. He makes and takes a lot of very difficult shots all over the floor. But he also has a s a soft touch near the rim. Now his at rim finishing has to get better which we’ll touch on. But in that mid area in that mid-range putting up floers he does have a nice touch. He is a plus athlete. Some people try to say that he’s not this superb athlete. Sure, he’s not this all-world athlete like a VJ Edgecomb is, but at 610, he does have functional athleticism that shows in his game, even if it wasn’t fully on display at the NBA combine. And he has a lot of versatility, especially defensively with his height and his wingspan and his quickness on defense. And he has a strong motor as well. He’s not going to be taking plays off. He’s going to play hard pretty much all the time. Now, his weaknesses, selfshot creation. So, although he does, you know, have the ability to hit a lot of tough shots and does make a lot of those, he doesn’t really have the ability to create for himself. A lot of the times when he’s creating, he’s taking these contested shots and they do go in because he’s so good at it and he’s so tall and his wingspan is so long, but he’s not really able to create that separation with the ball in his hands because, as you see here, like he just has a loose handle. really not developed and it’s a big flaw in his game. He fumbles a lot with the rock. He does struggle to get by defenders a lot of the time and when he does it’s usually because of his long legs and long strides. His at rim finishing absolutely has to get better and we’ll dive deeper into that but not something you’d like to see out of someone with his height. Of course, he is a little bit thinner at about 200 lb. So, he will have to put on weight, but I think you can do that in the NBA. Again, the shot selection not great, but you need to understand at Ruckers. Yes, they had Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey, two of the top three prospects in my opinion in this draft, but the rest of that team was just so horrific. And a lot of people ask like, how are they so bad with these two studs? Like the rest of the team was awful. So, he had to take a lot of tough shots because no one else could make shots or really create anything for anybody else. And of course, as I mentioned, that loose handle and the playmaking ability just not really there. But the shot making absolutely incredible. Just go back and watch his game versus Indiana this year. Dylan Harper did not play. So, Ace Bailey was the one who had to carry that offense. He had 39 points and was making shots all over the floor. He can make a wide range of difficult shots, highly contested shots. As I mentioned, that high release point, very hard to contest when he’s rising up and pulling up from deep. And his movement shooting is really come along. And it’s really at an elite level right now where no matter where he’s moving, left, right, coming off screens, like he can really knock down those shots all over the floor. So, you’re feel very comfortable with where he already is as a pure shooter and a pure scorer. You look at his some of his advanced numbers from this past year. Again, took a lot of shots off the dribble, but when he’s taking these off the dribble shots, they’re usually heavily contested. So, 36% this past season on off dribble twos. It’s not bad. It’s not elite either, but you have to consider the type of shots he was taking. Again, off dribble threes, again, all contested shots, so the numbers don’t look great. But when he was able to catch and shoot cleanly, which wasn’t very often, did shoot 38%. Interestingly enough, he actually shot better unguarded threes than unguarded threes this past year. But, I mean, look at this. 66 guarded threes compared to 27 unguarded threes. He just wasn’t getting a lot of clean looks in that awful Ruckers offense. he should be able to get more clean looks playing alongside, you know, hopefully Joel Embiid, Tyres Maxi, Paula George, and the rest of the 76ers roster. Now, when you take a look at some of his individual possession types, right, 102 possessions on spot-ups, that’s just catch, shoot, no dribbling involved. Simple, the simplest form of shooting. 102 possessions, almost one point per possession. That’s what the PPP stands for. But when you’re around that one number, that’s pretty efficient, especially when you’re spotting up. Now, he did ISO a lot again because nobody else was creating on that Rucker squad. 796, not bad, not great either. But where he did show some value in limited samples, doing the other things offensively, cutting, grabbing offensive rebounds. He was very, very efficient in those regards. And that’s why I like him so much in that type of role with a Sixers team where he won’t have to take over and be the only guy. So again, it was a high degree of difficult shots he had to take at Ruckers. And I really want people to understand that because a lot of people probably didn’t watch Ruckers. They see some of his shooting numbers and they’re like, man, he really wasn’t that efficient. But it’s more nuanced than that. You have to really dive into the tape and into the film and see what he was dealing with at Ruckers. Now, a big question. Can he adapt his role in the NBA? Because he was the guy at Ruckers with him and Dylan Harper, and he had to do a lot of stuff himself. But he won’t have to do that in the NBA. And I think he’ll be even better in a role where he doesn’t need to do everything offensively on his own. He can get a lot more clean looks and play in the flow of an offense where his shotmaking ability, I think, can be even more on display. Now, as I mentioned, he does have weaknesses, right? I’m not just going to sit here and tell you he’s this perfect prospect because he’s certainly far from that and the finishing ability is not what you want to see on half court layups just 42% for a guy that’s 6’9 even for a guard who’s 6’3 that’s just not good enough. So he does get pushed around a little bit because he’s lighter at 200 lb. So he needs to add weight there and become better finishing at the rim. But in that in between game on those floaters on those runners he showed that touch at 61%. And as a whole when you factor in the total rim field goal percentage it’s includes transition where he’s getting cleaner looks 63% you know not great but not awful but no doubt the finishing ability absolutely has to get better if he wants to get a full arsenal of scoring ability and scoring moves in the NBA. Now, a weird area of concern that popped up this year in his lone season at Ruckers shot just 69% from the free throw line. And it was strange because in high school he was a 90% free throw shooter. Now, he had some outlier games where he would shoot one of eight from the line, two of seven. That dropped the percentage a little bit. I’m not too worried about it. I think his shot looks good enough where I do believe he’ll be more close to that 80-ish percent in the NBA. not quite the 90% in high school, not quite the 70% that he showed in college. Another big weakness for him that he will absolutely have to improve if he does want to reach his high ceiling because Ace Bailey has a high ceiling. I think he has a decently high floor as well, though some people say he has a low floor. I think his shotmaking ability and his defensive potential give him a decently high floor, but the ball handling, the playmaking, it is a weakness and it has to get better. He’s really not much of a creator for himself and others. Now, again, didn’t have a lot of teammates to create to at Ruckers. Whenever he did, they’re probably missing the shot, but you watch him, the handle is just loose. A lot of sloppy plays, sloppy turnovers, and when he does have the ball, usually only looking to shoot. Now, he can make the extra pass when it’s swinging around the perimeter. It’s not like he’s a complete ball stopper, but with the handle, the passing vision, like it’s just not where you want it to be. And that’s what might limit him from being, you know, a true number one option in the NBA. 6 assist to turnover ratio is horrific. 8.3 assist percent to a 13.4 turnover percent. Not good, obviously, but he won’t have as much responsibility coming in right away for the Sixers team. 24 games this year of two or less assists. But, and you’ll see this is a trend for Ace Bailey, did improve throughout the season and had three or more assists in six of his last 12 games. So, he did show some growth and show some flashes in that area. But, if he wants to reach his high ceiling and his ceiling as a player, when you think about his height and his scoring ability, people are comparing him to like a prime Paul George. Not Paul George and the Sixers. I’m talking Indiana Pacers, Oklahoma City Thunder Paula George. Some people are throwing out Kevin Durant comps. Look, that would be the ultimate, you know, top end. I’m not going to project that for him because that’s everything going right. You know, low end, I still think he can be a Michael Porter Jr. type player who has that height and can shoot over anybody. But if he wants to be better than that, and he wants to develop into an all-star level player, he has to be better with the ball in his hands, making decisions, and being able to get by guys, because he wasn’t able to get by guys very well at Ruckers. Now, defensively, he does have a lot of potential, and he did show some flashes at Ruckers. He has all the tools, right, with his height and his wingspan, those rangy arms. He does cover ground very well. He moves quickly, and he has these long legs, so it’s hard to get by him, and he does have some above the rim athleticism, showing his ability to get up and block shots at the rim, but he has to be more locked in on that end and more consistent on that end. Now, as I mentioned, this is another area where he did show steady growth throughout the year. In the beginning of the year, first 10 games or so. I’m not going to lie, he did look lost a lot on the defensive end, not being in the right rotations, not knowing where he needed to be in help defense, but as the year went on, he showed that he was coachable. He showed that he could make improvements in his game and buy into that end of the floor. And by the end of the year, he looked to be a very good help defender, a very good on ball defender, showed production in the steals and blocks department. And that’s what I love about Ace Bailey is that he’s not someone that seemed like he was okay with his athletic ability being the only thing that would carry him over the course of a season and his height and wingspan all that just allowing him his natural talent to be what carried him. He showed a desire to truly get better in all aspects of the game throughout the course of a season. And that’s what I love to see cuz sometimes you’ll see these guys come into the NBA who have all the tools, but that’s all they really rely on. and they don’t really show that fire and desire to get better and really improve those, you know, individual areas of their game that can take them from good to great and great to elite. So, I like that Ace Bailey showed an ability to be coachable, an ability to improve in these areas. And that’s why I’m so optimistic on what he can be as an NBA player because he has the things that you can’t teach, right? With that height, with his plus athleticism, with a tough shotmaking, like that just comes naturally to him. can’t really teach that. So, if you can get him to be better defensively, if he’s able to develop that handle, which is a hard thing to do, I do understand that, man, his ceiling really is as high as almost anybody in this entire draft. And he can be one of those Paul George type players who is tall, can score from all over the floor, just has to improve the finishing, the playmaking, the defense, and just the efficiency as a whole. But I think that gets better playing with better teammates than he did this year at Ruckers. So what say you? I know this is a huge huge debate on Sixers Twitter right now. It seems like people only have two opinions. Either they think Ace Bailey is an ex Kevin Durant or they think Ace Bailey is the worst player in the draft. Obviously exaggerating a little bit, but Sixers Twitter is very very split right now. So let me know. Would you like the pick of Ace Bailey at number three overall? Give me an L for like, D for dislike. You can explain why in the comments. And if you wouldn’t like the pick, let me know who else you’d rather take. I know a lot of people might say VJ Edgecom, and we’ll talk about him on the show as well. I just think Ace Bailey a better prospect and a higher floor, although their games are pretty different. Be sure to hit that sub button for yearlong coverage on the Sixers. The draft is about a little over a month away at this point. And if you want the best draft coverage, we’ll be live for the NBA draft and live for free agency as well. This is the place you need to be. So, be sure to subscribe, turn on those notifications, and join the family here at 76ers now.

Philadelphia 76ers news on the 2025 NBA Draft continues to headline Sixers news today. After landing the 3rd overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft during the 2025 NBA Draft Lottery, Daryl Morey and the 76ers have a big decision to make between multiple prospects like Ace Bailey and VJ Edgecombe. 76ers Now host Jake Chipper explains why Ace Bailey should the the pick for the Sixers with a full Ace Bailey scouting report + Ace Bailey stats and highlights and today’s Philadelphia 76ers YouTube video!

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Ace Bailey Draft Profile:
– Position: Forward
– Height: 6’10”
– Weight: 200 lbs
– Draft Age: 18.85

Ace Bailey stats and highlights:
– 17.6 PPG, 7.2 RPG, 1.3 BPG, 46.0 FG%, 34.6 3P%

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Ace Bailey Scouting Report:
Strengths:
– Pull-up shooting
– 3-level scorer
– Soft touch
– Plus athlete
– Versatility & motor

Weaknesses:
– Shot creation
– At-rim finishing
– Shot selection
– Loose handle
– Playmaking ability

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Ace Bailey advanced shooting stats:
– Off-Dribble 2s: 40/111 (36.4%)
– Off-Dribble 3s: 10/41 (24.4%)
– C&S 3s: 36/93 (38.7%)
– Guarded 3s: 29/66 (43.9%)
– Unguarded 3s: 7/27 (25.9%)

Ace Bailey advanced possession stats:
– Spot-Ups: 102 POS (.961 PPP)
– Iso: 104 POS (.796 PPP)
– Cutting: 35 POS (1.4 PPP)
– Off Reb: 40 POS (1.17 PPP)

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Enjoyed today’s episode? Find more Philadelphia 76ers YouTube videos below:
– 76ers Rumors: Sixers TRADING Tyrese Maxey For 1st Pick To Take Cooper Flagg? – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdNSOIGp7Qk
– 🚨BREAKING: 76ers Will Pick 3rd In 2025 NBA Draft | 76ers Draft Targets After NBA Draft Lottery – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hEA1B00ph64

Ace Bailey finishing stats:
– Half-Court Layups: 16/38 (42.1%)
– Runners: 14/23 (60.9%)
– Total Rim FG%: 65/102 (63.7%)

Philadelphia 76ers 2024-25 stat leaders:
PPG: Tyrese Maxey (25.5)
RPG: Joel Embiid (7.9)
APG: Tyrese Maxey (5.7)
STL: Tyrese Maxey (2.1)
BLK: Joel Embiid (1.0)

Ace Bailey playmaking stats:
– 0.6 AST/TO Ratio
– 8.3 AST%
– 13.4 TOV%
– 24 games of 2 or less AST
– 3+ AST in 6 of last 12 games

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– Would you like Ace Bailey at #3 overall? Type ‘L’ for Like or ‘D’ for Dislike

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