NBA Future Watch: Amari Bailey Basketball Cards, Prospect – Amari Bailey has been in the spotlight far longer than most of his peers. Bailey and his mom were featured on the 2017 Lifetime reality series Bringing Up Ballers. It spotlighted aspiring Chicago-area prep stars and their powerful mothers. The athletic shooting guard relocated to the Los Angeles area to compete for Sierra Canyon School. There he led his team to the California Interscholastic Federation Open Division state title as a freshman.
By his junior season, Bailey mustered a tremendous breakthrough with 28.2 PPG, 8.1 RPG and 6.2 APG. His high school career attracted an incredible array of awards. In California, he was Mr. Basketball, Los Angeles Daily News All-Area Player of the Year, MaxPreps.com California Player of the Year, and Gold Coast League MVP. He was also a McDonald’s All-American, All-CIF Open Division honoree, 2022 Iverson Classic and 2022 Jordan Brand Classic selectee.
Ranked 2nd in the 2022 recruiting class by Sports Illustrated and 5th by ESPN, Bailey had his choice of top locales as a consensus 5-star recruit. But his choice was easy, as playing for UCLA had always been his dream. On a deep Bruin team that ended the season #7 in the final AP poll, Bailey placed fifth in MPG. However, he made the most of his time, notching .495 FG% and .389 3%. Bailey’s outstanding effort in the first round of the NCAA Tournament opened many eyes. He had 17 points, four rebounds, six assists and three steals. Bailey also had a nice spot-up performance in the next round with 14 points.
As a 2023 NBA Draft prospect, Bailey brings strong defensive credentials and tremendous all-around scoring potential. Greater volume on three-point attempts and additional work on secondary playmaking will only add value. As it stands now, Bailey could crack the first round. Room for his workouts could boost him higher. That will brand him as one of the rising stars to watch this fall.
NBA Future Watch: Amari Bailey – Stats
Statistical image generated from Sports Reference 04/16/23.
NBA Future Watch: Amari Bailey Basketball Cards, Prospect – More Resources
- 2022 Topps Chrome McDonald’s All American Basketball Cards
- Beckett Card Catalog
- Secondary Market Pricing
NBA Future Watch: Amari Bailey Basketball Cards, Prospect – Image Gallery
- Racing Future Watch: Logan Sargeant F1 Cards, Williams - April 27, 2024
- Soccer Future Watch: Sadio Mané Soccer Cards, Al Nassr - April 24, 2024
- NBA Future Watch: Andre Jackson Jr. Basketball Cards, Milwaukee Bucks - April 22, 2024