With just over four minutes left in the first quarter against Leicester, a Bristol baseline inbound finds Cam Holden at the top of the key. He passes to Davion Bailey, who has got free from his defender and drifted into the corner. Bailey misses the three-point attempt.
Leicester miss at the other end, and Miloš Dugalić pushes Bristol forward in transition. He passes out to the trailing Bailey, who turns down a three, dribbles to the free-throw line and makes a two-point jump shot.
Dugalić attacks in isolation and misses a turnaround jumper on Bristol’s next possession. On the following possession, Bristol move the ball on the left while Bailey loses his defender on the right. He moves up towards the top of the arc, receives a pass and misses another three.
Following a stoppage for an officials’ review, Bristol find him again from a baseline inbound. Dugalić passes the ball in and sets a screen. With Matteus Case holding the ball at the top of the key, Bailey curls out, receives the pass and makes a quick three.
In less than two minutes of game time, Bailey has taken four of Bristol’s five shots. That brief stretch shows the shooting responsibility he has carried through their opening games.
Bailey Takes the Shots
Bailey has taken more shots than any Bristol team-mate in each of their first six games. His 95 field goal attempts account for 22.8% of Bristol’s total, the largest individual share across the league so far.
| Team | Player | Share of Team FGA |
|---|---|---|
| Bristol Flyers | Davion Bailey | 22.8% |
| Leicester Riders | Bernard Pelote | 21.9% |
| Newcastle Eagles | Tavis Smith | 21.7% |
| Caledonia Gladiators | Terry Roberts | 19.5% |
| Manchester Basketball | Keon Thompson | 18.6% |
| Surrey 89ers | Addison Patterson | 17.4% |
| Sheffield Sharks | Lu’Cye Patterson | 16.6% |
| Cheshire Phoenix | Nazir Williams | 16.3% |
| Liverpool Basketball | Pat Robinson | 13.4% |
| London Lions | Thomas Kennedy | 12.0% |
Bristol have built a squad around size and defence. Bailey’s scoring helps balance that group.
Making Them Count
Bailey has recorded a 54.2% effective field goal percentage, compared with 49.2% for his team-mates combined. He has carried Bristol’s largest shooting load while shooting more efficiently than the rest of the team.
| Opponent | Bailey’s Share of Bristol FGA | Bailey eFG% | Bristol eFG% Without Bailey |
|---|---|---|---|
| London Lions | 20.6% | 64.3% | 43.5% |
| Cheshire Phoenix | 19.2% | 70.0% | 55.6% |
| Newcastle Eagles | 16.4% | 36.4% | 45.5% |
| Manchester Basketball | 25.0% | 50.0% | 45.1% |
| Leicester Riders | 32.9% | 52.1% | 41.8% |
| Liverpool Basketball | 22.2% | 50.0% | 63.3% |
* Effective field goal percentage gives extra weight to made three-pointers and excludes free throws.
Against Liverpool, Bailey’s team-mates shot more efficiently than he did. It was their best combined shooting game of the season.
But trailing 89–88 with 26 seconds left, Bristol inbound to Bailey, who calmly brings the ball up the floor. He faces up to his defender for a moment, then beats him off the dribble and drives to the rim for the lay-up that proves decisive. No one else touched the ball after the inbound, and no one else needed to.
