Summer League rarely feels like revenge theater. But when the Jazz’s Ace Bailey faced off against the Sixers’ VJ Edgecombe on Saturday night, it wasn’t just another game. Two top-five picks. One draft week power play. And a rookie still trying to rewrite the narrative. What happened next reignited all the questions from that fateful draft day.

For weeks leading up to the draft, everyone thought Ace Bailey would be the No. 3 pick. He seemed like a perfect fit for a 76ers team that really wanted a talented wing player. But in a bold move that apparently “perplexed” front offices all over the league, Bailey’s people, led by his agent Omar Cooper, tried to push him towards a team they liked better, like Washington or New Orleans. As ESPN’s Jonathan Givony reported, they even canceled a planned workout with the 76ers and said no to invites from several other teams that might have drafted him. It was a clear attempt to control where he ended up, a move that Sixers star Paul George publicly questioned. “You’re not in a position to be making those demands,” George said on his podcast. “Make it to the league first.”

Well, the plan totally backfired. The Sixers, not bothered at all, just went ahead and picked the super athletic Edgecombe at No. 3. And Bailey? He dropped all the way down to No. 5, landing with a Utah Jazz team that reportedly wasn’t even on his wish list. You could tell how disappointed he was on draft night; it was painfully obvious.

And on Saturday, in their very first professional game, these two players met again on the court. And it was a complete mess for one of them. Edgecombe looked every bit like a future star. He absolutely dominated the game, putting up stats that were as impressive as they were easy for him: 28 points, 10 rebounds, and 4 assists. He even had the best dunk of the night! It was a high-flying, explosive jam that showcased his elite athleticism. He was, without question, the best player on the floor.

Bailey, on the other hand, was a total disaster. He ended the game with just 8 points on a terrible 3-of-13 shooting. He looked lost, out of sync, and at times, completely checked out. As one popular tweet put it, he was “playing the most selfish brand of basketball a man can possibly play.” Just picturing him sitting on the bench, fuming after missing seven shots in a row while Edgecombe was putting on a show at the other end – perfectly captured how bad the night was for him. The Jazz might have won the game, 93-89, but the real story was what happened between those two rookies. 

And for Ace Bailey, a player who tried to control his own destiny, the season has started with a harsh and very public reality check. And as soon as the final buzzer sounded, the internet was ready to hand him another one.

The internet reacts to Ace Bailey’s tough debut against VJ Edgecombe

The reaction on social media was swift, brutal, and, in some cases, hilarious. The parody account NBA Centel had some fun with Bailey’s pre-draft moves, tweeting, “DEVELOPING: Ace Bailey is reportedly underperforming to force his way out of Utah, per league sources.” It’s a joke, of course, but it’s one that lands because of the real-world drama that preceded it. For a player who admitted he had “no idea” the Jazz were going to draft him and looked so visibly disappointed on draft night, the idea that he might be sandbagging to get traded doesn’t feel that far-fetched.

Other fans were pretty blunt in what they said, especially when they stacked him up against the player picked just two spots earlier. “Ace bailey might need a few more levels to catch up to vj, just sayin’,” one user commented. The numbers totally back this up. Edgecombe was confidently finding his spots and just taking over the game, shooting 13-of-27. Meanwhile, Bailey really struggled to get anything going on offense for himself, ending up with more turnovers (2) than assists (1).

The most common critique was that he simply didn’t look like he knew how to play within a team concept. “Where was the shot creation from ace Bailey?” another fan asked. It’s a fair question. Throughout the game, Bailey seemed determined to get his own shot, often to the detriment of his team’s offense. His 3-for-13 shooting performance was a direct result of his poor shot selection – a tendency to force the issue rather than letting the game come to him.

For some older fans, it was a frustratingly familiar sight. “Josh Smith was a good basketball player but he was one of the most frustrating players the Hawks have had,” one fan wrote, drawing a comparison to the former Atlanta Hawks star. “A PF who wanted to be a SG. I think Ace Bailey will be like that for Utah.” It’s a brilliant, and frankly, terrifying comparison. Josh Smith was this incredibly athletic, highlight-reel guy, but everyone knew he loved his jump shot too much and would take bad threes. He had all the talent in the world, but he just wouldn’t play to his strengths, and that drove Hawks fans nuts for years. Now, after just one Summer League game, some people are already worried Ace Bailey is going down that same, frustrating road.