It was hard to get much of a read on No. 5 pick Ace Bailey at the Salt Lake City Summer League because he played in just two games due to a hip injury (he did not play in Las Vegas). After struggling in his initial outing, Bailey looked better in his second game.
Bailey is going to get plenty of chances with the Jazz this season, the ball will be in his hands. What will be the key to his success and, more importantly, growth as a rookie? Developing a routine, Jazz coach Will Hardy told Andy Larson of the Salt Lake Tribune.
“For Ace, first and foremost, it’s going to be about building a routine. The NBA is a lot. The number of appearances is far more than he used to. That’s practice, shootaround, games, but it’s going to be about sort of him finding his routine, because I think the routine saves you during the season, you don’t have to think that much.”
This is where having veterans on the roster, such as Georges Niang, Kyle Anderson, and Lauri Markkanen, is beneficial for Bailey — he can see firsthand how experienced players who have stuck and thrived in the league prepare themselves physically and mentally for the grind of the NBA season. Having mentors matters.
My main positive takeaway from Summer League for Bailey was that he showed improvement between his two games, although Hardy noted he saw more things he liked.
“I think Ace showed he was really active in Summer League. He’s a good cutter. He can play in off-ball screens. And then defensively, while his body is continuing to get stronger, it’s going to be about using his length, because I think that is a real strength of his right now. I think that’s how he can survive on the defensive end right now.”
Utah has enough talent on the roster to be respectable this season — although every one of those veterans mentioned above is available via trade — but the Jazz are rebuilding and this is a team that is looking for its star to build around. While Jazz fans may be looking ahead to the upcoming draft that player, Bailey will get a chance this season to show he can be that guy.
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