Utah Jazz coach Will Hardy wants to keep things simple for Ace Bailey during his rookie season. Hardy believes that building consistency will help Bailey grow as a player.
"For Ace, first and foremost, it’s going to be about building a routine. The NBA is a lot. The number of appearances is far more than he used to. That’s practice, shootaround, games, but it’s going to be about sort of him finding his routine, because I think the routine saves you during the season, you don’t have to think that much," Hardy said.
Hardy was encouraged by what he saw from Bailey during his brief Summer League appearances. The 6-foot-7 forward was limited to two Summer League games due to a hip flexor injury.
"On the court, offensively, it’s going to be a little bit of playing without the ball, moving around. I think Ace showed he was really active in summer league. He’s a good cutter. He can play in off-ball screens," Hardy said. "And then defensively, while his body is continuing to get stronger, it’s going to be about using his length, because I think that is a real strength of his right now. I think that’s how he can survive on the defensive end right now."
