An Inside Look At Jerryd Bayless
Jerryd Bayless is not your prototypical pass first point guard. He’s a scorer first, playmaker second. He has the ability to light a team up on any given night, yet lacks some of the pure instincts needed in an elite floor general.
This leaves Bayless as somewhat of a question mark to some teams. Can he handle the full-time duties as a lead point guard? Or, is he better suited as an off guard, showcasing his incredible athleticism and explosive scoring touch?
Questions will continue to linger as to whether he is best suited at the one or two spot, but many NBA decision makers around the league are pondering the question, “Why can’t he be both?”
Two of the league’s brightest young stars, Monta Ellis and Brandon Roy, have both shown that they can excel at either position given the chance. Jerryd Bayless aims to be next in line.
There’s no doubt that he can handle the job physically. An extremely gifted athlete, Bayless has all the physical tools at his disposal to succeed at the next level. Whether it’s his lightning quick first step, devastating open floor speed, or explosive leaping ability, very little can stand in his way when he makes up his mind to drive to the basket.
At 6′3″, there is some concern over whether he’s too small to match up defensively against shooting guards, but his commitment to playing hard nosed defense, and excellent footwork should prevent him from being exposed by bigger, stronger, guards.
On offense, Bayless is as deadly a scorer as they come. With an incredibly smooth jumper and the strength and body control to get a shot off no matter where he is on the court, some are comparing him to another former Wildcat, none other than “Hibachi” himself, Gilbert Arenas.
In a half court set, he has no problems coming off screens, or pick-and-rolls and nailing the jumper. His impressive physique allows him to create his own shot at any time, whether it be in traffic, fading away, or right over his man.
Like a sharpshooter with an itchy trigger finger, Bayless can go off at any time. He has that killer instinct and shooter’s mentality that no one can stop him. Whether he’s made 10 shots in a row or missed 10, he will keep shooting and attacking no matter the situation. When the game is on the line, he’ll be the first to step up and never shy away from taking the big shot.
When his shot isn’t falling, like all good scorers Bayless will slash to the basket initiating contact and getting to the line, where he is an excellent free throw shooter. Although not fully adept at finishing after the whistle yet, he finished the season averaging just over seven free throw attempts per game, an amazing rate for a guard his size. Between the NBA’s crackdown on hand checking and Bayless’ propensity to slash to the basket, don’t be surprised to see him spend most of his time at the free throw line next season.
As natural and as fluid as he looks as a scorer, the same can not be said of Bayless when describing his point guard skills.
Coming into the season with the pressure of being one of the top in state recruits and playing at perennial national powerhouse Arizona, Bayless had the added pressure of making the transition from primary scorer to distributor. Garnering most of the playing time at the one spot, he has shown glimpses of potential at the point, but is still very much a work in progress.
An impressive ball handler, Bayless can sometimes fall into the trap of over dribbling, penetrating and dominating the ball, creating a one man show. He’s much more comfortable on the move in a fast paced tempo where his instincts take over and he doesn’t need to worry about orchestrating the offense.
Although Bayless has improved and progressed as the season continued, he stills struggles with his decision making and will need to be more patient and composed if he wants to become a leader and playmaker at the next level.
A potential lottery selection as the year began, Bayless has improved his draft status with a sensational freshman season. A season that saw him finish third in the PAC-10 in scoring at 19.7 a game, and helped lead his team to a birth in the NCAA Tournament.
If selected by the right franchise with the right system, Bayless could be looking at Rookie of the Year honors if he continues to polish up his guard skills and take the next step. The ideal situation would see him step into the backcourt with a proven guard that can run an offense and let Bayless do what he does best; score.
Steve Nash he may never be, but with a quality coach who can bring him along slowly and help develop his skills as a point guard, Jerryd Bayless could be well on his way to becoming an NBA All-Star mainstay for years to come.
Photo Credit: Icon Sports Media
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