Will Hardy will have a tough decision as the season near: who will be the sixth man?
Will Hardy has a decision to make, and it might not have a clean answer. With Darryn Peterson projected to be the starter at guard, the Utah Jazz sixth man spot is up in the air — and at least four players have a real case for it.
Ace Bailey
Ace Bailey is the betting favorite for a reason. He's tied for fifth in DraftKings' Sixth Man of the Year odds at +2000. The logic from the betting lines has traction.
Giving Bailey the keys as the front man of the second unit could pay dividends. An athletic wing and last year's All-Rookie selection, Bailey could produce a real workload.
He's long enough to guard multiple positions too, which matters on a Jazz defense still finding its footing.
Brice Sensabaugh
Brice Sensabaugh brings the highest offensive ceiling of the group. He's a bucket-getter who can break down defenders off the dribble, as well as knock down catch-and-shoot threes and punish smaller wings in the post.
His offensive firepower is exactly what the second unit needs. The question is whether he tightens up defensively and cuts down the turnovers enough to hold the job.
He is also in his contract year, which may give more incentive to raise the stakes entering the season.
Isaiah Collier
Isaiah Collier's path is different compared to Bailey and Sensabaugh — he's a playmaker first, not a scorer.
Collier has shown he can thrive running a bench unit even without a reliable three-point shot. If Hardy wants ball security and more pace off the bench rather than a shot-hunter, Collier is the pick.
The three-point number is a swing skill. Collier has shot 25.7% from behind the arc up to this point in his career, but even a modest jump makes him tough to leave off the floor.
Kyle Filipowski
Kyle Filipowski's case is more matchup-driven. With Walker Kessler gone, the Jazz lean more on Jusuf Nurkić and Filipowski up front, and a 7-footer who can score in space gives the second unit a similar look to the starting lineup.
The starting five projects a multi-stretch look with Lauri Markkanen and Jaren Jackson Jr., giving the second unit a more defined shape by contrast.
He's less a traditional "sixth man" scorer than a wildcard who changes how that unit spaces the floor.
Judgment
Bailey remains the favorite to win that role, and the odds back it up.
Hardy does have many options to pick from. Sensabaugh for a scoring punch, Collier for a true backup point guard with stability or Filipowski for consistent size. Whoever wins the job, Utah's second unit won't lack for shot creation this year.
