The Utah Jazz are still a couple of months away from getting a look at the official debut for their fifth-overall pick Ace Bailey in the regular season, coming after a limited summer league stretch in which Bailey appeared in two of eight total contests in both Salt Lake City and Las Vegas.
However, while in waiting for the next NBA season, Jazz head coach Will Hardy and the rest of the staff have been working behind the scenes to plan out just how Bailey could be utilized, and how he can contribute during his first year pro. As a raw, 19-year-old talent with enamoring upside, getting the ball rolling early on his development is critical, and for Hardy, he already sees a few key routes to
Hardy interviewed with The Salt Lake Tribune's Andy Larsen to discuss some of the expectations for Bailey in his rookie season, centering on both his off-ball ability and building up his physical tools.
"On the court, offensively, it's going to be a little bit of playing without the ball, moving around. I think Ace showed he was really active in summer league. He's a good cutter. He can play in off-ball screens," Hardy said. "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."
But possibly even more important than fitting in on the floor, Bailey will be tasked with building a steady, sustainable routine at the next level-- something Hardy placed a major emphasis on.
"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," Hardy said.
Oftentimes, it can be a vast transition for first-year players jumping from college to the pros. There's far more games to be played, more intense practices, and above all, the surrounding talent level sees some major elevation, but with the Jazz having a heavy focus on development and their young talent, such an environment may actually be a perfect fit for Bailey.
For Hardy, interestingly enough, it wasn't Bailey's highly acclaimed scoring ability that was raved about entering the draft; it was what spanned further from his ability to make shots in order to be impactful, whether that be moving without the ball in his hands, or using his length to be a bothersome defender.
That might just be a hint of what the Jazz and this coaching staff will be focusing on to develop Bailey at the next level, which could be what helps fill him out to be a strong two-way force that can impact the game in a variety of ways, besides the obvious factor of his innate ability to put the ball in the basket at all three levels.
Time will tell how Bailey's rookie campaign pans out in Utah, but Coach Hardy is laying some solid groundwork for a positive first year.