HOOPSWORLD | Basketball News & NBA Rumors

Jerryd Bayless was the eighth ranked basketball prospect coming out of high school in 2007, and he was hardly a surprise lottery pick when drafted eleventh by the Pacers in 2008, even though some mock draft sites thought he would go between fourth and tenth.  This young man had superior athletic skills and a knack for scoring the ball, putting up a team high 19.7 points per game for Arizona in his only college season.

Perhaps unfortunately, the Trailblazers also saw Bayless’ potential and immediately traded to get him in a multi-player, draft-day deal that sent point guard Jarrett Jack the other way.  On a 50-win team with serious playoff aspirations, minutes were hard enough to come by for the 20-year-old, and then Portland added the veteran point guard Andre Miller last season.  Subsequently, Bayless was sent to New Orleans during this past off season and then traded to Toronto on November 20, 2010 with Jack going the other way yet again.

Toronto is a very young team and the 22-year-old Bayless made an immediate impact by scoring 13 points in 15 minutes during a home victory over Philadelphia in his first game.

"He can make shots from the outside and layups as well," said the Raptors starting point guard Jose Calderon.  "He is strong, not really tall, but he can finish very well at the rim.  A complete player who can score from almost everywhere."

His young teammates also noticed the effort Bayless brought to the team and how quickly he has fit in on the Raptors.

"He is definitely fitting in," said Raptors’ sophomore DeMar DeRozan.  "You can see how hard he plays.  He goes out there and plays extremely hard."

"It is fun," said Leandro Barbosa.  "We both have speed and do similar things.  We have played against each other (in the Western Conference) so he kind of knows where I like the ball and I know where he likes the ball.  I feel really comfortable playing with him and I am sure he does the same."

The transition from college scorer to NBA point guard is not always an easy one to make, but Bayless recognizes his strengths and his weaknesses and has been working on his game since he arrived in the league.

"I came in as a scorer," said Bayless.  "But I have had some great teachers to play with in Andre Miller and Chris Paul.  I have definitely learned a lot from both of them.  I keep on learning, watching, trying to take everything in.  I am not there yet, but I continue to work at it and get better."

One of the things that he learned during his first two NBA seasons was that at this level he could not just rely on his athleticism.

"I try to beat people with a lot of different things," said Bayless.  "I am trying to be a lot more crafty than I was before.  A lot of times I used to rely on my athleticism and it is tough to do that on a nightly basis, so there are definitely different things that I am trying to develop.

"I had some of the best teachers in Andre and Chris," he continued.  "Andre especially, he doesn’t jump unless he has to at any time.  I had some of the best teachers and hopefully that will go a long way in the future."

Bayless also acknowledges the contributions that the Raptors veterans are making to his development and those veterans have not been holding back on their advice.

"Jose is a great guy, said Bayless.  "Since I have been here he has shown me a lot of things and I couldn’t be happier to be playing behind him.  He is a good guy, a great player, and overall an excellent person. I can’t say enough good things about him."

"Jerryd, I think he has all the tools," said Barbosa.  "He just has to be more mature in a couple of situations.  I talk to him about situations in the game about what I would have done and try to help.  It is on him if he is going to listen to me or not.  I am just trying to support and help him."

Of course scoring was not what people thought would be a problem for Bayless, but in Portland, the opportunities just didn’t seem to be there and in his brief stay in New Orleans, they were even less so.  However, in Toronto Bayless went 3-3 from three-point range in his first game and hasn’t really looked back since.  That has placed the focus squarely on Bayless’ ability to run the team.

"Jerryd has been very good for us," said Raptors Head Coach Jay Triano.  "His development as a point guard has been accelerated because of this opportunity but we need to have a point guard on the floor like Jose to organize things."  

{AUTHOR_BOX}This after Bayless was forced into a starting role over four games while Calderon was injured.

"That is not to say he can’t be on the floor with Jerryd," said Triano as he described the possibility of playing Bayless and Calderon together.  "Jose understands how to get everybody into their positions and it is still a learning process for Jerryd right now, but he has picked it up, and we are pleased with where he is. For a 22-year-old point guard who has been thrust into a starting spot on the team, he has handled it well."

"We have confidence in him now and when we made the trade," said Triano.  "But having confidence and doing it in practice and doing it in spot duty is a little bit different than when you are handed the reins and expected to play major minutes and do it."

Bayless has recognized that his future success will come from developing his point guard skills.

"Just try to continue to get guys the ball," said Bayless.  "Continuing to make plays for other people is what I am concentrating on and hopefully I can get better at.

"I know I can score; I have proven that," said Bayless.  "Obviously, there are times that I will need to score, to be a little more aggressive, but for the most part I need to continue to get other players their shots, and that will not only help me as a player, but help the team as everyone else will be able to get into the flow."

Recently, the Toronto Raptors featured the youngest starting line-up in franchise history with Bayless as the starting point guard.  The results were predictable, but there are benefits to giving young players big minutes.

"One of the tough things right now is we are developing these guys that are very young," said Triano.  "You can do it all you want in practice and drill it and everything but when you are thrown out there in front of people who are paying to come and watch you play, you better step it up and accelerate that process and that is part of what we are trying to do with these young players."

The timing of his arrival in Toronto provides Bayless with the opportunity of a lifetime.  It’s a chance for this highly-rated player out of high school and college to play significant minutes on a young NBA team where development and mistakes will be expected and the veteran guards want to see him succeed.  The physical gifts are there, and it is apparent that he has the desire, all that remains is for Bayless to take advantage of his situation and develop into the star player envisioned only a few short years ago.