We may already owe Ace Bailey an apology. He didn't get much buzz individually as a player this summer only because everyone's excited for the Utah Jazz as a team and they just added their most exciting prospect in decades with Darryn Peterson. The Bailey hype train is still going, but maybe we slept on it a bit.
Perhaps that's because all indications are that Bailey won't be a starter this year, but that's not the demotion that you may think it is, especially with good he's looked. There's a good chance we highly underestimated just how good Bailey already is because his preseason has stood out.
His body looks more NBA ready, and he looks like he's ready to breakout. The notion of him becoming an All-Star has already been brought up, so we don't need to regurgitate that. Make no mistake: it's a matter of when, not if.
Even if Bailey won't make the All-Star team this season, there are two awards that should absolutely be within his grasp this season: Sixth Man of the Year and Most Improved Player. The last (and only) player to do this in NBA history? Darrell Armstrong back in 1999.
Bailey's preseason is giving glimpses of how good he could be
Bailey may not get the start when the Jazz are at full strength, but even if he did start, he wouldn't grt a whole lot of touches next to Peterson, Keyonte George, Lauri Markkanen, and Jaren Jackson Jr. But his insertion would make that lineup the Jazz's easily most dangerous lineup.
Plus, with those guys likely on the bench while he's in, Bailey can easily take the reins and do his thing. It's not even that Bailey possesses the talent to be something special, but also the feel and IQ. Check out this heads up play where he forced a turnover, then nailed the heave to Markkanen at halfcourt for the fastbreak dunk. That's not an easy play to make.
Bailey's even shown some savvy as a playmaker, nailing the lob to the outlandishly long and athletic Jaxson Hayes for the alley-oop. These are the makings of a player who has come into his own. We knew Bailey could score. We knew Bailey could jump. We didn't know that, when given the chance, Bailey can make the right play consistently.
Even the most talented stars needed time to blossom. Bailey might need less time than everyone thought he would, and that's a fantastic development for the Jazz. If he thrives in his super-sub role, he is primed to be a legitimate candidate for MIP and 6MOY.
The only Jazzmen to win these awards were Lauri Markkanen, taking home MIP in 2023, and Jordan Clarkson, taking home 6MOY in 2021.
After nights like last night, we shouldn't be asking "Where did that come from?" when it comes to Ace Bailey. We should be asking, "What is this kid's ceiling?!" because even if he does take home both of these awards or one of them, that's not the end game. That's just the beginning.
Add us as a preferred source on Google