Ace Bailey received a fair amount of criticism for his antics before the draft. Among his critics, then, was Paul George. However, since Bailey has started his career with the Utah Jazz, George has decided to change his mind on Bailey. Better yet, he seems to believe Bailey is on the right team.
During his most recent episode of Podcast P, George explained why he believes he was wrong about his initial assessment of Bailey's actions. He also believes that Bailey is in a situation that works in his favor in Utah.
“I want to kind of retract what I said,” George said. “How can we get on a kid that kind of knows what he wants? We're not in his shoes. He wants to do it his way. He's good enough, he's got the talent, he's gonna go where he wants to go. That's his decision. It could have backfired, but it didn't. He's still in a great situation; he still gets to showcase what he could do. He had a great game too. He went crazy, showed his potential, a flash of it.”
"[Ace Bailey] wants to do it his way … I hate being that person to be like, ‘Oh you should’ve done this.’ Everybody has their own path.’”
— Podcast P with Paul George (@PodcastPShow) July 21, 2025
PG opens up on how Ace handled his pre-draft process. pic.twitter.com/crLlRcZ0Go
Bailey flashed his talent in his first Summer League game with the Jazz, then flashed what that talent could amount to in his second. It would have been nice to see him strut his stuff in Las Vegas, but it's fair to say that Bailey has only fueled the optimism about the player he could be. His antics may not have been what people are used to seeing from prospects, but it got him to the Jazz.
Bailey can make others forget what happened pre-draft
It's rare to see people like George take back what he said about Bailey, but if Bailey can change his mind, then he can changes others as well. It isn't a good look to refuse workouts with multiple teams, as it can lead many to conclude that the players who do are divas, but Bailey is on the right track to show that that's not him.
As George said, Bailey can decide the path he wants to carve out when he starts his NBA career in October. It is on him to strike while the iron is hot, but as long as he continues to assert himself, and as long as there won't be any drama with the Jazz, Bailey can make everyone have the memories of a goldfish.
Playing for the Jazz can help him with that. Utah is in a rebuild, so there's no pressure on him to get them wins right away, unlike say Cooper Flagg or Dylan Harper. He'll be able to spread his wings and he shouldn't face too much criticism when he experiences growing pains.
Best of all, the critics will give Bailey a chip on his shoulder. if Jazz fans weren't excited enough about Bailey, George's words on him should make them feel pretty good about what lies ahead.