Bailey shaky in debut, but hustle impresses Jazz

SALT LAKE CITY -- No. 5 wide prime Ace Bailey's debut successful a Utah Jazz azygous featured much soiled enactment than flashes of his scoring potential, which wasn't needfully a disappointment to his caller coaches.

Bailey finished with 8 points connected 3-of-13 shooting successful the Jazz's 93-89 triumph implicit the Philadelphia 76ers successful Saturday's Salt Lake City Summer League opener. He was outshined by Sixers rookie VJ Edgecombe, the No. 3 wide prime who had 28 points, 10 rebounds and 4 assists portion going 13-of-27 from the floor.

However, with the crippled connected the line, Edgecombe missed a 3-pointer that would person tied the score. Bailey grabbed the antiaircraft rebound with 4 seconds near and deed 1 of 2 escaped throws to seal the Jazz's victory.

"Man, it was great," said Bailey, whose champion item was soaring good supra the rim to cull a layup attempt. "We won, too, truthful that made it a plus. It was fun."

Following a fewer days aft the draught erstwhile Bailey's tendency to play successful Utah oregon adjacent study to the Jazz were successful doubt, the 18-year-old's show indicated that helium was blessed to person this opportunity. He impressed his coaches with his physical, progressive antiaircraft effort and by grabbing 7 rebounds successful his 25 minutes, respective of which were successful traffic, including the clutch antiaircraft board.

"All that worldly isn't talked astir enough," Jazz caput manager Will Hardy told ESPN, referring to the 6-foot-8, 210-pound Bailey's quality and willingness to support and rebound. "The discourtesy volition come. He's learning a caller strategy and caller radical and has been worked hard the past 4 days [in practice].

"He's an NBA assemblage and athlete. He's a large teammate, too. I've had thing but affirmative reviews from each the coaches and his teammates this archetypal week."

The Jazz intended to assistance easiness Bailey's modulation to the NBA by having Omar Cooper Jr., the lad of Bailey's advisor who conscionable finished his vocation astatine McNeese State and plans to participate coaching, service arsenic an unpaid impermanent manager during summertime league. That program was called disconnected aft the league bureau contacted the Jazz to rise concerns, sources told ESPN.

Bailey reported to Utah implicit the play and expressed enthusiasm astir joining the Jazz, saying helium is "just blessed to beryllium successful the presumption I am." The Jazz person been encouraged by his enactment ethic during summertime league practices and idiosyncratic workouts.

It was besides notable that Bailey remained mentally engaged portion sitting retired for astir each of crunch clip successful a adjacent crippled Saturday. He was lasting successful beforehand of the Jazz seat and animatedly cheering for his teammates during that stretch.

Bailey grabbed the clutch antiaircraft rebound connected the possession instantly aft checking backmost into the crippled pursuing his extended rest.

Utah drafted Bailey, who averaged 17.6 points during his lone play astatine Rutgers, contempt him declining to enactment retired for the Jazz due to the fact that they believed helium was the champion subordinate connected the committee and had prima potential, peculiarly arsenic a scorer. But Bailey ne'er got into an violative groove during his summertime league opener and forced a fewer questionable shots.

"Offensively, we tin bash a small spot amended occupation astir apt getting him involved," said Scott Morrison, the Jazz adjunct who is serving arsenic Utah's caput manager during the Salt Lake City Summer League. "We'll spot distant astatine that. The bully happening astir summertime league is it doesn't truly substance what the effect is. It's much important that helium has immoderate things to ticker connected movie time morning.

"This 2 weeks is fundamentally a clang people successful the NBA, and erstwhile you're coming from the assemblage level particularly arsenic an 18-year-old kid, each those things that person thing to bash with scoring oregon shooting are mode much important to found to get connected the court. Then erstwhile helium establishes those things wherever helium tin assistance the squad successful a affirmative mode without scoring, we tin interest astir his changeable selection."