With his first term, Ace Bailey achieved one of his dreams

Will Hardy approached this duel against Wolves with a modification in his five and integrationAce Baileywho therefore started first in the NBA league. In order to prepare for this event, which he learned about the day before in training, the Jazz rookie did not hesitate to ask his teammates for advice.

“I didn’t really give him advice, he was the one who came to see me” comments Keionte Georgeauthor of 27 points against the Wolves. “He just wanted to make sure that if I saw him doing something stupid, I would tell him. He takes responsibility for everything he does.”

For his part, Ace Bailey explains that he wanted to make the best possible impression: “I was enthusiastic. I didn’t want to make a mistake because it was my first start. So I asked a lot of questions, as all beginners have to do. I went into this match not knowing what to expect against a team that played the second part of the back-to-back. So I tried to learn as much as possible. »

If the victory was not in the end, the Jazz showed a better face for this second duel against Minnesota, after the loss of 40 points last Friday. Will Hardy’s men held their own in the first half and even led when they went into the dressing room before faltering in the third and losing 113-120.

A dedication to his mother

At the end of his first NBA start, Ace Bailey finished with 10 points on 4/9 shooting, 7 rebounds, 2 assists and 3 steals. At the press conferenceexplained that his sense of bounce came from his mother, Ramika McGee who played in particular two seasons on the varsity on the West Virginia side between 2003 and 2005.

“My mother tended to play the 4 position and that was something she preached all the time,” the Jazz winger remembers. “She told me that if I don’t have the ball, I have to go for a rebound. This gives the team and me an additional opportunity. Every action has consequences, so I have to take the ball and start a counterattack.”

With this first term, Ace Bailey claims to have achieved one of his goals: “Hearing his name called among the starters is something I’ll never forget, it’s a dream come true.”

The next step for the 19-year-old will certainly be to adjust his sights as he has had a difficult start to the season with 6.3 points on average with 35% shooting success and only 18% from distance.

How to read statistics? MJ = matches played; Min = Minute; Shots = Shots Successful / Shots Attempted; 3 points = 3 points / attempt 3 points; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def=defensive jump; Tot = Total number of jumps; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal mistakes; Int = intercepts; Bp = lost balls; Ct: Against; Points = Points.