The Utah Jazz need center help. They lost Walker Kessler this summer. He joined Luka Doncic and the Los Angeles Lakers via a sign-and-trade. Now, Jusuf Nurkic is out, too. Jaren Jackson Jr. can play center, but he’s not a great rebounder. That’s where the Jazz need help. Well, perhaps Ace Bailey is ready to step up in that area.
In the Jazz’s loss to the Lakers on Sunday night, Bailey did just that. Utah wasn’t able to get the job done in the win column, but by the end of the night, Bailey had corralled 12 rebounds. That not only led the Jazz; it also led the game (Kessler grabbed seven for the Lakers, Doncic tallied eight, and Keyonte George had nine).
Averaging double-digit rebounds seems a bit of a lofty goal for Bailey. But if he can take a leap in the rebounding department, it would be a huge help for Utah.
Ace Bailey can help solve rebounding problems
The current state of Utah’s center position is dire, to say the least. Losing Kessler to the Lakers this summer was only the beginning. Since then, things haven’t gotten much better.
Utah didn’t really address the loss in free agency or on the trade market. They re-signed Nurkic to a new contract, and he’s probably their best option at the center position right now. Or he would be, if he were healthy.
The diagnosis isn’t great. Nurkic is dealing with a partial plantar plate tear of the second toe in his right foot that occurred in a preseason game on October 4. He’s out indefinitely and will be reevaluated at the four-week mark of the injury.
Kyle Filipowski missed the preseason and is available to play, though he could still be dealing with the remnants of his back issue. Outside of him, Utah has Tony Bradley, Jaxson Hayes, and Mo Bamba.
None of those guys are great solutions to the lack of rebounding in Utah. So, that’s where Bailey could come into play. If he can improve as a rebounder, it would seriously help the Jazz out.
His 12 boards against the Lakers are a great sign. A sign that he could help fill the void for the Jazz throughout the course of the year, especially if he can earn significant minutes.
Bailey isn’t the final answer. He’s not going to solve every problem. He’s not a center. But as the Jazz look to piece things together, he’ll help with some of their rebounding woes.
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