What the experts say
ESPN [$] (Jonathan Givony): 29th
The Ringer (Kevin O’Connor): 35th
Sports Illustrated (Jeremy Woo): 41st
Sporting News (Chris Stone): N/A
The Athletic [$] (Sam Vecenie): 35th
The Stepien (Composite Rank): 98th
The Step Back (Brandon Kleen): N/A
Quotes:
Placing him 44th on his most recent Big Board, Sports Illustrated’s Jeremy Woo outlined the numerous concerns surrounding Bazley and the prevailing hope that his theoretical versatility can be borne out on the court:
"“Bazley made headlines with a string of decisions that led him out of his commitment to Syracuse and subsequent plans to play in the G League this season, instead working out in private while interning at New Balance. While nobody has seen much of him in a competitive settings over the past year, scouts were less than impressed with his showings at All-American practices and the Nike Skills Academy. Sometimes we incorrectly conflate positional length and size with versatility, and right now, Bazley has to prove his offensive skill development is trending into a playable direction. The hope is that he can become a useful defender given his length and athleticism, and round out the rest of his game enough to make positive contributions.”"
Meanwhile, Sam Vecenie of The Athletic said that Bazley’s showing at last month’s combine did well in assuring he could be picked as high as potentially late in the first round in his most recent mock draft:
"“Bazley showed up to the combine and played pretty well in the second game, not looking particularly overmatched by the competition on the floor. In the end, that was a win for the skinny 6-foot-9 forward. He has potential to go late first round, but most executives peg him as coming off the board within the first half of the second round due to his upside athletically. If he can shoot it at all, he has a real chance to stick at the next level.”"