JERRYD BAYLESS Age: 19 Hometown: Phoenix, Ariz. College: Arizona Position: Point Guard Height: 6-3 Weight: 190 Class: Freshman

Bayless is freakishly athletic, leaving pundits to compare him to Monta Ellis and Gilbert Arenas. He creates his own shot extremely well - using an explosive first step to get defenders off balance - and can create off the dribble, finish at the rip or pull-up for a J. His range is solid out to the college three-point line, but his terrific elevation suggests the NBA three will be within his growth ceiling. Defensively, Bayless has shown signs of being a lock-down defender on opposing point guards.


While he likes playing point guard, Bayless seems to prefer to score the ball. In other words, the fact that Bayless was a scorer before a playmaker at Arizona could be problematic for NBA teams. Though he can get his shot where he wants it, his shot selection isn't great, and he may have trouble defending NBA two guards.


There will be a place for a guy with Bayless's unique skill set on any NBA team's roster, including Minnesota's. The question is, can you play him alongside another combo guard like Randy Foye, or a pure point like Sebastian Telfair? Would he work in the same backcourt as Rashad McCants? Do you bring him off the bench to spell Foye, gaining some quickness while losing some size? The good news is, Bayless's explosiveness, touch and athleticism aren't going anywhere. He's only 19, and an NBA coaching staff can push him in whatever direction is best for the team. One thing is for sure: when you put a guy who can both drive and shoot on the court with Al Jefferson, it's not the best news for opponents.


Sludge's take on JERRYD BAYLESS


Round 1: West Virginia 75, Arizona 65


Chad Ford's Top 100
"Bayless's combination of elite athleticism, shooting ability and quickness make him an excellent NBA prospect. One scout compared him to a better shooting, more intelligent Monta Ellis, another to Gilbert Arenas. He's projected in the mid lottery."

Draft Express
"Bayless is in a bit of a tough situation: when he’s extremely aggressive looking for his own shot, people say he’s selfish, but when he lets things come to him, he’s criticized for being too passive … Offensively, Bayless can do it all and has basically everything you look for in a scoring guard. He’s an outstanding shooter first and foremost, showing terrific shooting mechanics, superb elevation creating separation from his defender, and all the confidence in the world to fire away in any situation imaginable."

NBADraft.net
"In a word: special. Bayless combines incredible speed, quickness and athleticism with a high level of intelligence and composure ... Winners mentality ... Must become better at running the PG position ... More of a scoring point, but his PG abilities are improving ... Can be prone to trying to do too much, must be more patient and composed."

Real GM
"Bayless initially looked like he was a long ways away from being comfortable on the college floor, but that has very quickly disappeared and he has begun showing his amazing promise. What has and will be the most immediately impressive aspect of his game is his extreme elevation on jumpers. It really is extraordinary and makes it possible for the 6-3 guard to be a shooting guard."

HoopsHype
"Quick, fluid, explosive guard with possibly the best shot-creating ability in this draft. A scorer’s deluxe--terrific perimeter shooter, with a great mid-range game, but also gets to the free throw line at an excellent rate. Superb confidence in his abilities, a go-to guy. Great intangibles, but more of a combo guard than a true point at this juncture of his career. Too small to defend shooting guards. Shot-selection is questionable at times."



Fox Sports: Mayo or Bayless? Who should be No. 3?
The GM at pick No. 3 will likely be choosing between Arizona's Jerryd Bayless or USC's O.J. Mayo. Both are coming off stellar freshman seasons in the Pac-10. Both can be destructive forces on the offensive end of the floor. Both have their share of red flags that might keep them from reaching their full potential. However, if a general manager values his job, he'll pick Mayo.

Bayless Adjusting to Constant Defensive Pressure
"Already, in just four months of college basketball, Bayless has become a team leader. He’s learned to combine handling the ball, being the team’s leading scorer and pacing himself for 40 minutes a game. But there’s one aspect that is still an ongoing project - how to deal with the constant defensive pressure he faces."

UA’s Bayless Piles Up Numbers
"Bayless is doing it at a near-record pace. At his current 21.1 points-per-game average, he would be tied with former California star Shareef Abdur-Rahim for the Pac-10 record by a freshman. Bayless' recent three-game splurge - 103 combined points - is second only to Coniel Norman's 104 of 34 years ago. In the three games, Bayless shot 51.8 percent from the field and made 52.2 percent of his 3-pointers."

Bayless Always Driven to Win
"The 6-foot-3 Bayless has it. You see it on the court when he's attempting to will UA to victory. You see it in his eyes when he's accomplished it; and you see it in his eyes when he hasn't."

Bayless, Budinger Shrug at News of Pac-10 Honors
"Maybe Jerryd Bayless should have been a first-team all-Pac-10 player. Maybe not. He certainly was not worried about it Monday. When asked about being named to the conference's second team, Bayless seemed indifferent."



Chad Ford Mock Draft 1.0
No. 4 to Seattle

Ford's Mock Draft 3.0
No. 4 to Seattle

Ford's Mock Draft 5.0
No. 4 to Seattle

NBADraft.net
No. 4 to Seattle

Draft Express
No. 4 to Seattle

---

Reports Compiled By:


Mike Trudell
Wolves Reporter

- With contributing writers Matt Tiano and Jude Harder