‘Two-way player’ is starting to become synonymous with Utah Jazz forward Ace Bailey

Ace Bailey didn’t see Austin Ainge coming.

Ainge, the Utah Jazz President of Basketball Operations, approached Bailey at his cubby in the Jazz locker room after Utah’s preseason games against the San Antonio Spurs.

Bailey’s back was to Ainge, gathering his things to leave, when the Jazz executive began congratulating him. Bailey answered nonchalantly before turning around.

The Jazz forward almost seemed startled, as if he didn’t realize it was Ainge at first. Then the pair talked briefly about Bailey’s stellar performance.

Bailey had finished with 6 points, six rebounds, three assists and three steals in 26 minutes in the win.

Even if it came mostly against the Spurs’ bench, it was an impressive showing and preview of what Bailey could become.

As they spoke, a phrase came up: “two-way player.”

When Ainge walked away, he briefly turned back to Bailey and said, “You just gotta do it every night.”

The description “two-way player” has almost become synonymous with Bailey’s offseason.

“Offense is going to come,” he said. “I’m not worried about the offensive end. I mean, I can score. It’s just mainly just focused on the defensive end, just being the two-way player we need.”

That mentality showed up against the Spurs. While San Antonio didn’t play their top-end rotation players, Bailey made things difficult for them due to his athleticism and length.

That isn’t exactly a surprise. Multiple team sources have told The Salt Lake Tribune that Bailey’s improved defense has stood out during training camp.

His teammates can attest to that.

“It’s the same thing he has been doing all camp,” Jaren Jackson Jr. told The Tribune. “Making hustle plays, getting his hands in passing lanes … a lot of good defensive stuff. Rebounding.”

According to Jazz coach Will Hardy, two things have helped Bailey take a step forward defensively: His conditioning has improved significantly since last season, and the forward better understands spacing and how to use his length.

That has led to better closeouts on shooters and better ball containment at the point of attack, Hardy pointed out.

Bailey said that this offseason was the first time he truly locked in on improving his conditioning. It involved a lot of track work, three-minute runs and exercise bikes.

When asked if it paid dividends, Bailey answered with just two words: “For sho’.”

For Bailey, the need to improve his conditioning came from realizing that it’s the key to surviving an 82-game season. But that wasn’t the only reason. Not getting winded will allow him to play a bigger role this season.

After all, he wants to become a two-way star.

“Do the best I can on defense, just using my athleticism,” he said. “Be the second jumper. Guard the best [offensive players], give them a hard time.”

Bailey’s improvement didn’t happen overnight. It’s been a slow grind.

“Ace does monotonous, boring, hard work every day and he’s done it for a year,” Hardy said. “He deserves the credit for being able to dig in and do those things over and over again. It’s nice for him to get a little bit of the reward in the games.”

As for the two-way player he hopes to become?

He has a clear model in mind: Toronto Raptors star Kawhi Leonard, the gold standard for that archetype.

“Watching his highlights on the defensive end, just seeing how he is in gaps using his hands … just using his athleticism,” Bailey said. “The way he uses physicality also.”