Hornets grab Amari Bailey with 41st pick in NBA draft

With the No. 41 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, the Charlotte Hornets selected UCLA guard Amari Bailey.

The 19-year-old played one season with the Bruins, helping them reach the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament. Bailey ranked fourth on the Bruins in scoring at 11.2 points per game.

He shows a lot of promise as a connective piece thanks to his skills as a perimeter defender and awareness in pick-and-rolls. However, he'll need some time to develop to make better decisions with the ball as a creator.

Bio

Position: Guard
School: UCLA
College experience: Freshman
Height: 6-foot-3
Weight: 191 lbs
Wingspan: 6-foot-7
Max vertical: 35 inches

2022-23 stats with UCLA

Strengths

• Perimeter defense is his biggest asset. Stays with his man, utilizing quick reaction time to cut off opponents. Has active hands - coming away with 1.1 steals per game. Even after losing his matchup, Bailey seems to find a way to get in front of them again.
• Improved at reading defenses during the season. Regularly found mismatches and open shooters as the pick-and-roll handler. Capable of shooting or driving the ball at the right time when the defense collapses.

Weaknesses

• Led UCLA in turnovers. Needs to tighten his dribble and move the ball around more as he can overdribble.
• Despite being a good perimeter defender, he'll need to improve at operating through screens. Has the tendency to get stopped by bigger players or goes all the way around to prevent dribble drives.

NBA comparable: Derrick White. An unexpected success story, White developed under the San Antonio Spurs system - showing out in the 2019 playoffs. He again proved his value as a defensive guard with a scoring touch for the Boston Celtics. The 28-year-old earned All-Defensive second-team honors this past season, an accolade Bailey can also obtain if he models his game after the versatile guard.