There’s only one game left in Preseason for the Utah Jazz. And even though we’ve only had three games, there’s a lot we’ve learned so far. Here’s what we have learned up to this point.
Ace Bailey is really good
The question is, how good? In two games, Bailey has shown a surprisingly advanced ability to score off the ball as a movement shooter. Curling into the paint, Bailey has looked automatic with his smooth pull-up jumper. He also looks like he’s already acclimated to the NBA three, and he’s making them both off the catch
and off the dribble. On top of that, he’s also making defensive plays. Even with a quick exit in his third game, Bailey is averaging 1.7 steals per game in the preseason. His physical talent jumps off the screen every time he’s on the floor and bodes really well for the upcoming season. In his three preseason games, Bailey is averaging 58..8% from the field and 41.7% from three.
All that said, what happens when teams start cutting off these early play sets that the Jazz have set up for him? Will he be able to find other ways to score and impact games? Time will tell.
Walter Clayton Jr is also good
In his three preseason games, Clayton is averaging 11.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 5 assists per game. The shot isn’t falling, but you can feel the impact Clayton has while he’s on the floor. Knowing that Clayton was such a good shooter in college and in summer league, it’s a good bet that Clayton will figure out his shooting during the season. The nice thing is just how good Clayton was, even when the shot wasn’t falling. One of the things I was worried about with Clayton was how he’d show up being undersized, but that hasn’t been an issue so far. Clayton looks like a player who “plays big” with his rebounding and defense. There’s a chance that Utah hit on both picks, and we’ll see just how good they are as the season moves along.
Taylor Hendricks is back
Calvin wrote a great piece today about Hendricks, so go check it out, but I couldn’t help but mention Hendricks as well. Before this preseason, Hendricks had a catastrophic leg injury that had the chance to ruin his entire career. He deserves a ton of credit for working all the way back. Hendricks looks like he spent his time well while rehabbing, building his body. He’s clearly built muscle that makes him look imposing on the floor. He’s also improved his game in a myriad of ways. Here’s what his stats look like over three preseasons.
Yes, it’s just preseason, but his starts are up in almost every important category, including his field goal percentage. The one that gets me excited is the free-throw attempts. Hendricks has gone from being non-existent at the line to taking 4.3 per game. It makes sense with how much more Hendricks is driving to the basket and imposing his will at the rim. That strength is really proving useful. It also makes me wonder what the future might be for Hendricks. Can he continue to build strength and become a potential 5 in the future? With Walker Kessler out, Utah is using a center to pass the ball to different cutters at the top of the three-point line. Jusuf Nurkic is averaging 3.7 assists this preseason because of it. Hendricks’ 2.3 assists suggest he could do some of this as well down the road.
Maybe that’s just my own wishful thinking, I’m dying for a stretch five that can also protect the rim for this team. At worst, Hendricks is looking like a potential starter at the 4, maybe more.
What all this adds up to is the makings of the core of the future for the Jazz, we’ll see how good of a core it is as the season moves along.
