When it comes to Ace Bailey, the Utah Jazz have nothing to be discouraged about. The rookie only continued to look better as time went on, to the point that he became one of the most impressive Jazz rookies in franchise history, making him perhaps their most untouchable asset. As promising as he is, that assertion begs the question of whether Utah currently has a franchise cornerstone on the roster.
Bleacher Report's Greg Swartz named Bailey as Utah's most untouchable asset. It's hard to disagree with how valuable Bailey should be for them long-term, but we must remember that the Jazz have a roster built to win now, but lack a centerpiece.
That's not a shot at the impressive assembly of talent they have now. Lauri Markkanen, Jaren Jackson Jr., Keyonte George, and Walker Kessler are all unquestionable pieces of a playoff foundation, but do any of those players scream "best player on a title team?"
This isn't to amplify the pressure, and the Jazz won't be "title or bust" next season. However talented this team is, they don't have that guy on their team. They have quite a few guys that can be your No. 2 or 3 on a title team, but not a No. 1 until further notice.
Bailey could be that centerpiece, but how long will that take?
Bailey has the talent to be something special in this league, but his rookie year is evidence that he is still coming into his own. Again, there should be no pressure on him to be ready right away. Hell, how Utah is constructed allows Bailey to gradually become the player they want him to be on his own time.
However, by the time he figures it out, Utah may have some difficult decisions to make long-term with some of their guys, like Markkanen and JJJ. Utah is more than happy to wait until that time comes, but part of having a title-winning team is having that centerpiece. The closest player to that is a couple years away from becoming one.
They could look to the draft to get that guy because there are several prospects who many believe could be the cornerstone of a title contender. However, like Bailey, it would take a minute for them to become the player the Jazz want them to be.
Loo, it's stupid to think about this right now because this notion is a buzzkill when the Jazz haven't even started what should be a fun era of basketball for them. It just goes without saying that something like this shouldn't be brushed off.
Add us as a preferred source on Google