It was the first night of Summer League action in Salt Lake City, and there was palpable energy in the Huntsman Center for the debut of Ace Bailey and VJ Edgecombe. The Utah Jazz home crowd was loud as they watched their promising young rookie, Ace Bailey, take the floor. With all the coverage of the draft and the high-risk pick made by the Jazz, it felt like a culmination of anxiety to see Bailey take the floor. Jazz fans cheered loudly for their new rookie as he was announced. But once he got onto the floor, it was a mixed bag, some of it not necessarily his fault.

The player of the game, though, was VJ Edgecombe. He stole the show tonight with 28 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, and 2 blocks. The statline matches the eye test, too. Edgecombe got to his spots and knocked down an array of shots from different places. His handle looks pretty good, and his athleticism is apparent right off the bat. It’s worth noting that Edgecombe was given 27 shots in this game to score 28 points. That can be explained by his 1/7 three-point shooting and only taking 3 free throws. It shows that he has even more room to grow, which is exciting if you’re a Sixers fan to see that.

Now, let’s talk about Ace Bailey. The Utah Jazz picked Bailey at #5 after an entire year of tanking. Utah was fined last season for blatantly manipulating lineups to lose games. We heard about the apparent devastation in the front office from losing the lottery, considering everything they went through last season. So pardon me if I’m a little confused as to why the Jazz made a point to play ELIJAH HARKLESS over Ace Bailey to finish this game. The decision not to have Ace in the game for most of the second half is one I, and every Jazz fan watching, would disagree with. It’s even more of a head-scratcher when you consider the minutes going to Elijah Harkless, who struggled to get the ball past half court at times. Harkless, who was 1/5 with 2 assists, was tasked with leading the end-game offense, while Bailey was apparently not the ideal player to be on the floor. I did see Kyle Filipowski get torched play after play inside, though. Filipowski doesn’t have the chops right now to bang down low to get rebounds or stop anyone defensively. Yet, he got those closing minutes over the potential cornerstone, Bailey.

Now, maybe it’s as simple as it being a minutes thing. Utah had the majority of its rotation players on the court for around 25 minutes. Maybe the Jazz are trying to keep players fresh for the grind of the summer league? Whatever the case, wouldn’t the Jazz want a potential cornerstone player to get every bit of experience possible? I’ll tell you this, it wasn’t a defensive problem for Bailey, he was solid on that end. This block, for example, was spectacular.

And watching in person, there were a few times I saw him double, and I wasn’t sure if that was the Jazz trying to trap or if he missed an assignment, but it mostly worked out. In simple defensive coverages, he looked nice. He maneuvered above screens, and he was agile with his on-ball defense, which, at his size, is exciting to see. He also tied for the team lead in rebounds, which bodes well for his floor as a prospect. The effect he has on the defensive end looks real and could be a vital part of his success in the future.

Bailey was just 3/13 in this one, and the obvious hope is that his scoring becomes more and more efficient. The game was interesting to watch in person because it was strange how often the Jazz guards and other players looked off Bailey. So many times I watched them run actions on the opposite end of the floor than where Bailey was. It’s just one summer league game, but the Jazz coaching staff needs to make sure this is as successful an experience as possible. Bailey was not tasked with handling the ball at any point, he played completely off the ball. It’s going to be tough for him to find any rhythm or success if the players running the offense aren’t looking his way. It’s just not effective coaching by the Jazz, and I’m surprised they didn’t have Bailey be the focal point alongside Walter Clayton Jr. (who looked very solid in his debut).

One play really stuck out to me. Utah ran a simple curl, the one that was run in ages past for Matt Harpring, and Bailey looked incredibly smooth catching the ball and knocking down the mid-range shot. It looked like that happened twice, but the team moved away from it for most of the game, as well as from Bailey in general. As frustrating as the basketball we watched was, that play was something I could see Utah running time after time for years to come.

Another play that comes to mind was a miss that Bailey had driving to the rim. His oft-discussed shaky handle showed up, and he nearly lost the ball going to the rim. He recovered and took the shot, but missed it. That’s the reason Utah doesn’t have him initiating offense. That, and he has some vision and decision-making to work on, but it was nice to see him drive. If he works on that handle and can get that to work for him, you can see how he can become something really great. The hope is that he can also improve his decision-making so that he can understand where the ball needs to go more quickly.

So, for Ace Bailey, it was a mixed bag of a night, but it was far from anything to be worried about. If anything, I came away happier about his floor as a player than I was before. He rebounds and defends, which immediately makes him more likely to become a winning player than if he were just a gunner on offense. Utah already has plenty of those.

Oh, and the Jazz had another rookie play in this one, Walter Clayton Jr. Clayton was very good tonight, but it was more his passing that stood out, as well as his defense. Clayton was tough on the defensive end and earned his two steals. He also dished out a team-leading 6 assists. You can see why Clayton was so good for Florida, and it looks like he has a chance to shine for the Jazz if he gets the opportunity. His blend of shot-making, IQ, and toughness will make him a solid player for years to come. I would not be surprised if he’s starting at point at some point for the Jazz, and sooner rather than later.