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Utah Jazz head coach breaks silence on team picking Ace Bailey, reveals how rookie will ‘survive’

Originally posted on NBA Analysis Network
By Jonah Kubicek | Last updated Aug 17, 2025 5:30 PM ET

Will Hardy and the Utah Jazz picked Ace Bailey fifth overall in the 2025 NBA Draft, and while his ceiling is incredibly high, it’s expected that he will take a few seasons to pan out.

With the fifth overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, the Utah Jazz selected Rutgers standout Ace Bailey. He was compared to Jayson Tatum and Paul George before the draft, although he is widely considered on e of the most raw players in the class, and it is expected that it will take him a few seasons to find his footing.

Bailey is a versatile scorer and solid secondary defender, and the Jazz expect him to be able to hang his hat on his defense.

In Will Hardy’s first public appearance since the draft, the fourth-year head coach raved about the pick.

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Will Hardy outlines a plan for Ace Bailey with Jazz

Lauri Markkanen and Walker Kessler are the two best players in Utah, and with young guards like Keyonte George an d Isaiah Collier in town, the Jazz could use an off-ball scorer who can catch and shoot off screens, stuffing the stat sheet.

To start his career, Bailey, who shot 46% from the floor in college, is expected to be fairly inefficient, although he will have a defined role on a young team, especially as the Jazz continue to tank.

“On the court, offensively, it’s going to be a little bit of playing without the ball, moving around,” offered Hardy to The Salt Lake Tribune’s Andy Larsen. “I think Ace showed he was really active in Summer League. He’s a good cutter. He can play in off-ball screens.”

At Rutgers, Bailey used his size and instincts to serve as a capable, if not solid, weakside shot blocker and help defender. Alongside Kessler and with John Collins traded to the Clippers, Bailey should be able to fill a defensive void on the team.

“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, “Hardy offered. “I think that’s how he can survive on the defensive end right now.”

While Bailey is expected to find success on the court, the Jazz are well aware that the way he carries himself off the court, which drew a lot of attention before the draft, is a hurdle the team must be able to overcome.

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Will Hardy addressed the main concern surrounding Ace Bailey

Before the draft, Bailey was touted as the third-best player in the class, although his refusal to work out with any team and his willingness to outright tell teams not to draft him hurt his stock although the Jazz rolled the dice anyway.

Hardy is hoping that an NBA training regimen will get Bailey on track to tap into his potential, although he admitted that it will be a work in progress.

“For Ace, first and foremost, it’s going to be about building a routine,” Hardy added. “The NBA is a lot. The number of appearances is far more than he’s used to. That’s practice, shootaround, games, but it’s going to be about sort of him finding his routine.”

The Jazz, between their young coach and lack of veterans, don’t have a surplus of experienced talent for Bailey to lean on as he develops into a talented NBA player, although with patience, the Jazz might have the best player in the entire class, and that’s including Cooper Flagg.

This article first appeared on NBA Analysis Network and was syndicated with permission.

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