Ace Bailey, or at a minimum his prior advisors, seemed to exhaust every avenue to steer clear of being chosen by the Utah Jazz. It’s been mentioned that Bailey harbored “desired” landing spots, which might have swayed a handful of teams contemplating him during the June selection event. However, Utah determined his skillset was simply too valuable to overlook — despite the potential headache of Bailey possibly refusing to attend training or exhibiting disruptive behavior — and they proceeded to draft him with the fifth overall selection.
As it stands, this choice seems to be proving quite astute.
Initially, reports surrounding Bailey’s demeanor have been overwhelmingly encouraging. Fellow player Kyle Anderson has described Bailey’s upbeat attitude as “catching,” while head coach Will Hardy has lauded the young player’s “eagerness to learn” and his knack for “grasping the game and adapting swiftly.”
Bearing in mind that these are merely exhibition matches, and a mere pair at that, Bailey has demonstrated remarkable promise on the court thus far. Across seventy minutes against the Rockets and Spurs, Bailey amassed 45 points, converting 19 of his 29 shot attempts.
Statistically noteworthy, without a doubt. But the method by which these shots are being generated, within a clearly intentional strategy by the Jazz to position Bailey in his most advantageous scoring zones, is allaying one of the widespread concerns about his collegiate performance.
That worry centered around the notion that his offensive output was often strenuous. Every shot seemed contested. This was partly attributable to the fact that, beyond second overall pick Dylan Harper, Rutgers lacked players who could divert defensive attention from Bailey. However, a significant issue was Bailey’s susceptibility to the pressure he encountered.
When we use the term “susceptibility,” it’s not to say he couldn’t score under duress. He could, and still can. Bailey’s ability to salvage possessions with difficult shots was a major selling point during the draft. However, in the NBA setting, relying on acrobatic spins into mid-range fades as a primary offensive strategy is unsustainable. Consistent, efficient scoring hinges on operating in an environment with sufficient space to secure clean looks consistently.
Should a player struggle to create that space independently through dribbling prowess (an area where Bailey has admittedly faced challenges, evidenced by his concerning turnover rate under pressure in college), then that space must be manufactured for him. And that is exactly what the Jazz are implementing for Bailey.
Rather than tasking him with initiating plays from a static position and forging advantages in isolation, the Jazz are strategically positioning Bailey in motion, so that by the time he receives the ball, he is either already in, or quickly advancing toward, open space. From there, he only requires a dribble or two, free from immediate pressure, to seamlessly transition into a high-quality shot.
This approach was vividly showcased during Bailey’s preseason debut against the Rockets.
In the second game, the trend continued against the Spurs.
Observing those scoring plays, it’s apparent that only one originated from isolation (and even in that instance, he effortlessly secured his spot at the elbow with impeccable precision and footwork, requiring only three dribbles, capped by a fluid spin maneuver). In actuality, Bailey has only used a total of 28 dribbles to launch his 29 preseason shot attempts thus far.
It doesn’t require extraordinary insight to grasp the implications. That amounts to less than one dribble per shot. This is reminiscent of peak Klay Thompson efficiency. While Bailey may not possess Thompson’s unparalleled range, he compensates with superior athleticism, but the underlying principle remains consistent: both players excel when catching the ball in motion, as opposed to starting from a standstill.
Bailey’s ability to create his own opportunities may certainly evolve (and likely will), which could potentially lead to more drives to the basket and free-throw opportunities. Some observers are drawing comparisons to a young T-Mac, an ambitious comparison that might not be entirely unwarranted. However, for the time being, Bailey seems most effective as a mid-range scorer with minimal dribbling (a more athletic Rip Hamilton should generate considerable excitement in Utah), and the Jazz’s decision to strategically position him in alignment with that strength, until the remainder of his skillset catches up, cannot be emphasized enough.
