Stop me if you've heard this one: Ace Bailey is good. Call me crazy, but I don't think any fan, whether they root for the Utah Jazz or not didn't already know that. Bailey was the No. 5 pick in his draft for a reason, and while it wasn't immediate, he proved by the end of his rookie season that he has the makings of someone truly special.
The real tragedy though is that his name didn't come up much this summer, but that's only because many were focusing on how Utah has all the tools to be so much better this season and the hype around Darryn Peterson. No one's forgotten Bailey, but what has fallen under the radar is how he could be key to the Jazz's success this season.
Even after Jusuf Nurkic's injury, it's still likely that Bailey won't start this season, but that might be by design. Just because he won't be in the starting lineup doesn't mean he won't be in the closing lineup. More importantly, him playing in second units could give him the usage he needs to become the player Utah hopes he can be.
Playing the majority of his minutes with Peterson, Lauri Markkanen, Keyonte George, and Jaren Jackson Jr. will likely limit the amount of touches Bailey gets, but if he plays in the second unit with only one of them, it gives him the chance to spread his wings.
And when he gets to play with all of them, their scoring gravity could make his life easier. Bailey has proven that he's a smarter player than many thought going in, so at his age, he'll know better than try to interfere with their usage and in fact could use it to both theirs and his advantage
Even though everyone already knew how good Bailey was, what has fallen under the radar is that his undeniable talent may already prove exceptionally more useful than many had already thought. Many already knew he could be a future star, maybe even a franchise cornerstone, but this season could be the first stepping stone to him evolving into that kind of player, even if it's only Year 2.
Sixth Man of the Year might be on the table for Bailey
Young stars don't exactly aspire to be Sixth Man of the Year, but in Bailey's case, he should understand that current and future Hall of Famers have won the award, including James Harden, Kevin McHale, and Manu Ginobili won the award, and they did it because that position was perfect for them and it was their first step toward the players they became.
If Bailey proves to be a super-sub next to Markkanen and JJJ, who are already quite a unique duo by themselves, it makes Utah so much more dynamic as a team and tougher to stop. Bailey is well-primed to thrive in a position that could simultaneously prove how dangerous he is and how dangerous Utah is as a team.
Best of all is that this could be just the beginning of the legacy Bailey makes with the Jazz. Most young players would prefer making the All-Star team first and foremost, but Bailey winning 6MOTY would merely be his valley, not his peak.
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