Ace Bailey’s NBA debut season leaves the Utah Jazz with welcome confirmations, but also a clear understanding of what comes next. The No. 5 overall pick in the most recent NBA Draft flashed elite athleticism from his very first appearances, but only more consistent production will turn that into a true cornerstone of the new era in Salt Lake City.
There are two areas of his game where Bailey will be expected to make major strides as early as October: rebounding impact – just 4.2 per game this season, also affected by the near-total absence of Walker Kessler – and offensive reads to create for teammates. If developed, that growth would give Utah’s offense a new and largely unexplored dimension during the minutes when Keyonte George rests.
Overall, however, his durability was encouraging. The Rutgers product finished with 72 games played in a season filled with injuries for the Jazz, some of which drew skepticism and were followed by an official league response.
When asked by reporters to describe his season in five words, the rookie answered:
Learning, good, great, fantastic… exceptional
Ace Bailey
Coach Will Hardyfor his part, balanced optimism about Bailey’s strong finish with caution about placing unnecessary pressure on him.
I think it’s great for him to take on more responsibility in stretches of games. At the same time, I don’t want him to feel like he has to be the guy from start to finish every night
Will Hardy
A March stretch of 19.6 points per game while shooting 40.3% from three wasn’t enough to keep pace with Cooper Flagg and Could Knueppel in the Rookie of the Year race, but Bailey can still close the season with renewed confidence: the progress he showed after the All-Star break gives him a strong foundation to build on as he looks to solidify his place in Utah’s long-term project.
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