This Ace Bailey kid just might be for real.
In his NBA preseason debut, Bailey scored 25 points on 11-of-16 shooting, adding six rebounds, three assists, and two steals in his 31 minutes.
The Jazz, however, lost to the Rockets by a 140-127 score.
But for the team’s future, it was Bailey finding success from all over the court that stood out.
Bailey matched up for much of the game against new Houston Rockets acquisition Kevin Durant — and impressed his childhood hero in the process.
“Dynamic player. I think he’s going to be a hell of a player,” Durant said of Bailey after the game. “I love the coaching staff that he’s with. I love that he got drafted to Utah; they’ve got a good development program over there that I’m looking forward to seeing how he progresses. I’m expecting a big year from him and a big career. Tonight he showed what he can do.”
Bailey had four baskets around the rim, including a dunk. He hit five of his seven midrange shots, and went 2-for-5 from deep. In general, he moved decisively, catching the ball and swiftly getting into an action to keep the defense off balance.
Two moments stood out among Bailey’s highlights.
First, the rookie drove and used his stop-start athleticism to spin and get open for a jumper that wowed fans in the opening quarter.
But a second-half pick-and-roll pass finding center Jusuf Nurkic — starting in the place of the injured Walker Kessler — might have been the moment where Bailey showed the most expansion of his game. It was an excellent read and delivery.
The 19-year-old Bailey earned the start for the Jazz in their first time on the court this season. He also looked like the Jazz’s first scoring option, albeit for a team without a healthy Lauri Markkanen, who was out due to a left wrist contusion.
Before the game, Jazz head coach Will Hardy said he watched rookie-year footage of Durant (along with Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum) this summer in order to learn how to coach Bailey.
“It was good for me to go back and watch a lot of that film and try to understand what the beginning of that road looked like,” Hardy said. “Like, there’s things to take away. I think understanding play types and what that diet is —maybe not as many ISOs when you’re super young, doesn’t mean none — but what can we do to try to make Ace’s life a little bit easier, without making the team about Ace?”
The Jazz’s Brice Sensabaugh came off the bench to score 24 points on 9-of-17 shooting. Taylor Hendricks, making his first NBA appearance since breaking his leg early in the 2024-25 season, also played well, with 15 points on 5-of-9 shooting in his 27 minutes.
