This Draft Prospect Can Help the Wizards Score More

If the Washington Wizards gain the number one overall pick in the upcoming draft, most agree that Cooper Flagg would be the logical choice. However, what if they don't have the first pick? While Dylan Harper would be an option, guard isn't an immediate need right now. Scoring is, and Ace Bailey does it better than most of the prospects in this draft.

The Wizards have a good guard rotation

Could Dylan Harper be an option for the Wizards? Absolutely. Do they view Jordan Poole as the point guard of the future? Where do they slot Bub Carrington and AJ Johnson long-term? All three players form a really good guard rotation and could cancel out any notion of drafting Harper. Poole is going to be an All-Star and is still developing and getting better. Bub and AJ are young but are walking buckets who can defend at a high level.

Contracts could be an issue in the next couple of seasons. Jordan Poole has two years left on his contract, and while he has played like an All-Star and has constantly improved, especially on defense, the Wizards may want to wait till they spend big money before they start paying some of their young prospects.

Now, they do need to earn their extensions, but none would require max contracts and could be re-signed to very team-friendly deals. Just look at Deni Avdija and Corey Kispert. Drafting Ace Bailey enables them to maximize the potential of the three-headed monster guard rotation they already have and add some more scoring to take the pressure off of Poole. Speaking of scoring.

The Wizards need scoring

The Wizards could use another scorer to take the pressure off of Jordan Poole and even supersede him. Ace is your guy. Ace Bailey is a three-level scorer who has a shot so smooth, it'll make you start singing Sade's "Smooth Operator". He can score at all three levels but could use more work with finding leverage and separation when it comes to attacking the rim.

He can strike with the mid-range and on the perimeter. His athleticism is elite, and he brings versatility on both ends of the court, which are attributes that the Wizards front office loves. He also brings size and length. He's 6'10 and still growing into his body. Outside of Flagg and Harper, he's the best prospect in the draft when you look at raw intangibles. Now I'm not saying he couldn't improve.

His shot selection could use some work. He tends to shoot a lot of bad shots or ill-advised shots. He rushes them, too. He can't just rely on raw athleticism, he will need to learn the opposing defenses and learn to put himself in the best positions to score. Yes, he can create for himself, but being a one-trick pony makes him predictable, which means he can be stopped.

He could also get stronger. At 6'10, if he can add some strength, he'd be a pest on both ends and would be a two-way star. Now the Wizards would probably slot him at small forward, but that doesn't mean he shouldn't learn how to play with his back to the basket. Adding that skill makes him more dangerous as an offensive weapon.

If the Wizards strike out on Cooper Flagg, Dylan Harper is a intriguing prospect but if they want to find the perfect offensive compliment to Jordan Poole, Ace is your guy. Don't even think about it, just pick him and you won't be sorry.

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