Ace Bailey showcased elite potential in Jazz summer league debut, full grades

As Utah's most prized pick in 11 years, Ace Bailey was in full focus in their first Summer League game in Salt Lake City. While he definitely showcased why the Jazz rolled the dice with him, others stood out as well in their victory over the Philadelphia 76ers.

Bailey will definitely be put under the microscope from now until the end of his rookie deal, but he is only a piece of the puzzle. Even though it was a close game, this was arguably the most exciting the Jazz have looked in Summer League since 2017, i.e. when Utah was first introduced to the real Donovan Mitchell.

With that out there, let's evaluate some of the Jazzmen, and of course, we are starting with Bailey.

The Jazz's grades for Day 1 of Summer League

Ace Bailey: Bailey did not put up the most exciting statline in his Summer League debut, but he definitely showed why Utah bet on him at No. 5. Don't let the three-for-13 shooting night distract you from Bailey showing his confidence and his all-around activity. There was a lot to like about what Bailey could do when he wasn't trying to score.

However, what also stood out was that the Jazz didn't play Bailey in crunchtime of this game. Perhaps Bailey not hitting his shot played a role in that, but it interesting that they opted to keep him on the bench as Utah was neck-and-neck with Philadelphia. Anyway, fans still have every reason to be excited about Bailey

Grade: B+

Brice Sensabaugh: Sensabaugh finished with only 19 points over all, but anyone who watched that first half knew that he had already made his point. A 16-point half in which Sensabaugh showcased his scoring ability fed into the narrative that he is indeed too good for Summer League.

He may not have done much after that, but he didn't have to. Summer League is more about showcasing the Jazz's youngest talent, and while Sensabaugh is young, Utah wants to see what guys like Bailey and Walter Clayton Jr. can do. Even if he doesn't do anything else for the rest of the Salt Lake City Summer League, it's fair to say everyone's pretty excited about Sensabaugh.

Grade: A

Cody Williams: Williams showed signs of life as he begun his second Summer League. The statline is solid, as he put up 12 points, five rebounds, a steal and a block. He even shot five-for-12 from the field. At times, Williams looked like a Swiss army knife player that the Jazz could use, but the warts are still there.

Williams looks like he's put on some muscle, but he's still embarrassing himself at times when he's on the court. He did just fine against players who are fighting tooth and nail just to get a training camp invite, but he did not do much to make anyone forget how last season went for him.

Grade: B-

Kyle Filipowski: Fillipowski only continued to look like the well-rounded scorer he did throughout his rookie season. Offensively, there's nothing to complain about him. He can score both inside and out and made huge plays down the stretch. He has shown that Utah can count on him when the going gets tough.

Defensively is where the problem lies. A rim protector, Filipowski is not, as he got scored on continuously by the Sixers. For how good he is offensively, Filipowski has to show he can't be exploited on the other end to be vaulted to that next level.

Grade: A-

Walter Clayton Jr.: Clayton's statline won't do him enough justice, but he looked the most poised out of all of Utah's guards. Three-for-eight shooting and shooting two-for-six from distance won't wow anyone, but Clayton looks NBA-ready. He looks like he could be the best all-around young guard in the Jazz's rotation.

Nine points and six assists while showing that he is capable of running the offense and complementing it? That's the kind of player Utah had in mind when they traded up for Clayton. Don't be surprised if his numbers only get better from here, and if he becomes one of the standouts when everything is said and done with Salt Lake City and Las Vegas.

Grade: A-

Isaiah Collier: It was clear from watching him that Collier really wants to prove that he is fixing his biggest flaw as a player: shooting. It is also very clear from his statline that it's still a work in progress. Collier already proved his playmaking is on point, but shooting one-for-seven from the field, including missing all three of his three-point attempts, is so painful.

Collier at least proved that he's still an excellent playmaker. At this point, it's expected for him to make the right pass, but it's still exciting to see him razzle dazzle when he gets the chance.

Even so, everyone who wants to see progress from Collier did not get it.

Grade: B-