16. Jerryd Bayless
A 10-year veteran and former lottery pick, generally, is something a contending team would find value in. However, with Bayless, Philadelphia hasn’t looked to him for much else then encouragement from the sidelines.
That said, can Philly faithful have any expectations for Jerryd? Maybe.
Weaknesses
- Stability
As mentioned, the Sixers staff haven’t look to Bayless for anything significant at all. Over his Liberty City tenure, Bayless has only carved his way into playing time in 42 games. That is not games started—its total games played in over two seasons.
When a player has that little time, you can’t expect them to show up on the court in any significant situation and produce quality play. Many players are dependent on rhythm, repetition, and consistency. The fact of the matter is that Jerryd can’t be trusted with critical minutes, because he isn’t getting any real time to play—and he isn’t getting real time to play, because he can’t be trusted with the minutes; it’s a vicious cycle.
Strengths
- Veteran leadership
Maybe it sounds weak—but there is real value for such a young team to have a 10-year vet help new players acclimate to their new life in the league. Listen to the now-legendary players talk about what meant the most to them—most of them will acknowledge someone who was there to show them how to integrate… and how invaluable that was for them.
Bayless can help the team by maintaining a positive attitude, preparing hard in the gym, and befriending new players in the organization and helping them mature and fit in. For Philly to catch Boston, our newest players will need to settle in quickly and get to work. Bayless is the type of guy who can help.
- Shooting
Jerryd Bayless is a career 41.4 percent shooter, and 36 percent from beyond the arc. Maybe he is limited in playing time, maybe he has played for three teams in a season twice in his career, but the numbers don’t lie—Bayless can shoot. He should take that form and make sure to keep working with the other guys and stay prepared himself. Crazier things have happened.
Season Expectations
When all the niceties are said, and the fodder of a positive-outlook author have cleared, the truth is we shouldn’t expect much from Bayless. The Sixer roster is pretty much rounded out, and plans don’t include the former standout.
Bayless will be moved or cut at some point this season, and anything else would be a shock to Bayless himself.
- 4.6 PPG, 0.2 RPG, 0.5 APG, 0.2 SPG, 39.1 FG%, 22 games played