UCLA Basketball: Bruins Guard Stepping Up For NBA Summer League Team With Lottery Pick Out

He continues to make the most of his opportunities!

Amari Bailey... I think a lot of basketball fans that watched him play over the past few years, not just UCLA Bruins fans, watched him get selected late in the second round of the 2023 draft and scratched their heads a bit. The stats definitely were a little low during the regular season in his freshman year and some lower foot injuries caused some concern but all of the skill and intangibles are there and he showcased that in summer league.

In his first couple of games, Bailey came off the bench and was mainly limited to a role where he would try to score off of cuts and attack the rim on fast breaks. However, we saw him take this to a whole other level in his final game in Las Vegas with the Hornets against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Number two pick Brandon Miller was ruled out along with other notable guards in Nick Smith Jr. and James Bouknight so Bailey had a lot more freedom to go to work.

The former Bruins standout freshman received 24 minutes of playing time and was able to lead the team in scoring with 17 points as they took home a 109-92 victory. This is exactly what you want to see from Bailey at this level and seeing that the Hornets already have a number of serviceable guards on their main roster with LaMelo Ball and Terry Rosier leading the way, Bailey will have to prove he belongs.

But if logs more finishes at the rim like this 360 one in their Saturday victory, he'll have no problem.

Amari Bailey with the 360 spin and finish 🌪️ 👀 pic.twitter.com/LT9Kv1ahIk

— James Plowright (@British_Buzz) July 15, 2023

We'll be sure to keep you updated about where Bailey starts the season with the Hornets, whether it be on their main roster or their G-League affiliate!