Utah Jazz Coach Will Hardy Affirmed His Belief in Ace Bailey in Summer League Win

After a disappointing debut, Ace Bailey redeemed himself in his second Summer League game, with a little bit of support from his new head coach, Will Hardy.

Jun 25, 2025; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Ace Bailey stands with NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being selected as the fifth pick by the Utah Jazz in the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

It's generally never a good idea to take too much away from an NBA Summer League game, but Game 2 in Salt Lake City had to feel good for the Utah Jazz, Ace Bailey, and all of his fans and supporters. In his first competitive game since leaving the Rutgers Scarlet Knights, he put up quite a stinker, finishing with just eight points on 3-13 shooting in his Summer League debut.

In that game, the Jazz were able to edge out the Philadelphia 76ers despite Bailey's performance. His wayward shooting and overall struggles seemingly confirmed all of his detractors' most pessimistic claims. He took and missed a bunch of tough shots, had a hard time creating good looks for himself, and was visibly trying to hunt his own offense to shoot himself out of the rut. It didn't work out for him, as the encouraging signs he showed as a rebounder and wing defender were overshadowed by his inefficiency and tunnel vision.

That all changed in Game 2, as Bailey put together a great individual performance and helped lead his Jazz to a one-point win over the Memphis Grizzlies. His accuracy was much better. He wound up hitting 7-14 shots from the field, including a stellar 3-5 mark from beyond the arc.

But he did a lot more than just shoot a better percentage. He also dished out three assists, played solid defense both one-on-one and as a weakside helper, and put up another strong showing on the boards, with seven total rebounds, three of which came off the offensive glass.

The box score showed what was evident on the court: Ace Bailey looked exponentially more comfortable, which led him to pick his spots and impact his team without forcing the issue or demanding the ball. When KSL.com asked what led to his new approach, Bailey credited his teammates and his new head coach:

"I talked to the vets; they just told me to calm down and let the game come to you — and that's what happened."

During the game, he had been called over by Jazz Head Coach Will Hardy, who reportedly gave him words of wisdom:

"Just telling me the things, just little things — go rebound, just create; I mean, just play, have fun. It means a lot. I mean, at 18, he called me over to let me know I've got a big role. I have a big, big role. So I just gotta fulfill the role."

Utah showed a ton of belief in Bailey when they took him fifth overall in the 2025 NBA Draft, despite his camp's warnings against it. Now, his head coach has continued to affirm that faith in Ace, both on a micro scale in Summer League and on a macro level as a cornerstone for their franchise. It's up to Bailey to reward the Jazz for their devotion.