Update: The Utah Jazz selected Ace Bailey with the No. 5 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.
It was Zig Ziglar who’s credited with the famous quote: “Your attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your altitude.”
Well. In the case of the Jazz and the NBA draft, particularly as it pertains to one specific prospect, he’s partially right. The question is, what’s the percentage on that partial part?
It reminds of another famous quote, by Miracle Max in the movie “The Princess Bride,” where Max clarifies the difference between being “mostly dead” and “all dead.” He says: “There’s a big difference between mostly dead and all dead. Mostly dead is slightly alive. With all dead, well, with all dead there’s usually only one thing you can do … go through his clothes and look for loose change.”
For the Jazz, to the Jazz, is Ace Bailey, attitudinally — and therefore altitudinally (I know, not a real word) — speaking, mostly dead or all dead? Or, rather, is he yet wholly alive?
There are arguments over Bailey’s future — his ceiling and his floor — in the NBA. Will he be a volume scorer, a star, or a valued 3-and-D player, or something much less? Arguments are spinning on that, all around. But, if he remains available at the Jazz’s fifth overall pick, when you break down his potential, there are, in fact, attractive attributes there that the Jazz could desperately use and opportunities for growth and usage space that could benefit Bailey, too — whether or not he realizes it.
But there’s more to consider.
What would you do if you were Austin Ainge and Justin Zanik?
On account of a near-total lack of efficiency on both offense and defense, would you go ahead and draft a talented player — as mentioned, exactly how talented is where the aptitude part comes in — who declines to subject himself to a pre-draft workout with the Jazz, supposedly because he thinks he’s a top three pick and, it is said somewhat contradictorily, because he’d prefer to play for a number of teams picking after Utah — or do you run away from such a prospect? Even if the aptitude part of the equation were absent of doubt, is the attitude part something that could be changed? Or is it a poisonous factor that is irreparable and therefore a deal killer, as in, all dead?
Before anyone around here gets too defensive about yet another case of a player not wanting to play in Utah because … yeah, it’s Utah, keep in mind that there were other teams — Philly and Charlotte — for which Bailey declined pre-draft workouts.
Either way, that demonstrates, at least to some, an entitlement problem that is beyond off-putting.
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro went on a podcast and expressed his concerns about Bailey, saying, “If you don’t want to be here, if you’re not dying to be here, I don’t want you to be here.”
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox had a different take. “Ace is welcome in Utah and we promise to take great care of him!” the politician wrote on X.
Rumors are that Bailey could fall in the draft because of his pre-draft decisions. However, other players who went on to be stars made remarks that scared teams away, not just in the NBA, but other leagues.
(Nam Y. Huh | AP) Ace Bailey talks to media at the 2025 NBA basketball draft combine in Chicago, Wednesday, May 14, 2025.
There have been a few whispers that Bailey, if the Jazz actually wanted him, would be willing to play here. Believe what you will.
Remember, the kid out of Rutgers is a 6-9 forward who has a wingspan in excess of 7 feet and a vertical of 34.5. He averaged, as a freshman, 17.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 1.3 assists. He’s an explosive athlete with speed who can defend when he chooses to and create shots, easy and tough, most coveted skills at the NBA level.
There are detractors, as well, regarding Bailey’s lack of court awareness, his sometimes poor passing, his willingness to settle for midrange jump shots instead of using his speed and leaping ability to get to the rim. He can shoot from distance and that touch might improve if he emphasized that aspect of his game. Considering the Jazz finished last in defensive efficiency and near the bottom on the offensive end, Bailey seems like an option the Jazz might find compelling. Some say, no, there’s no way.
That’s what makes Bailey the center of so much intrigue and attention in this draft.
(David Becker | AP) Rutgers guards Dylan Harper, left, and Ace Bailey sit court side before the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Alabama Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024, in Las Vegas.
What would you do?
The Jazz certainly don’t want a player here, regardless of how good he is or might become, who absolutely — all dead — doesn’t want to be here. They’ve suffered through cases of that in the past. On the other hand, if a player might think he doesn’t want to be here — mostly dead — but once acclimated and educated might discover otherwise, especially with a chance to be a star on a team that needs him, and for a fan base eager to embrace him, perhaps slightly alive is alive enough, perhaps attitude and aptitude can meld nicely into altitude.
One more thing to remember: Miracle Max did save Westley in the film.
But, then, that wasn’t the NBA, it was just a movie, albeit a classic at that.
