Ace Bailey Gets Real on What He Can Improve With Utah Jazz

The Utah Jazz made their long-awaited selection at the top of the 2025 NBA Draft with their pick of Rutgers wing Ace Bailey at fifth overall, adding one of the most highly rated guys with the best potential in this year's class.

Bailey, who's only 18 at the time of his pick by Utah, is only scratching the surface of what he can be at the NBA level. Standing at 6-foot-9 with a 7-foot wingspan and guard capabilities, if the Rutgers star can hone in on his development and make further strides on the offensive side of the ball to max out his ceiling, fans will look back on this pick to be a home run from the Jazz.

And following his selection to Utah, Bailey was asked about what he feels he can improve most within his game at the next level, where he kept things simple: he can improve on everything.

"I feel like I can improve on everything," Bailey said during his post-draft presser. "Not just that, I'm very young, I'm just coming into the game, so there's a lot of stuff I can improve– physically and mentally. I mean, from jump shots, to more creativity, to more ball-handling, just all over the place."

Ace Bailey on what he can improve on: "I feel like I can improve on everything. I'm very young. I'm just coming to the game, so it's a lot of stuff I can improve, physically and mentally. I mean, from jump shots to more creativity, to more ballhandling, just all over the place."
— Andy Larsen (@andyblarsen) June 26, 2025

In his one year with Rutgers, next to now San Antonio Spurs guard and second pick Dylan Harper, Bailey appeared in 30 total games to average 17.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 1.3 assists a night while shooting 46.0% from the field and 34.6% from three.

While his efficiency and shot selection will require some tweaks to fully progress into a high-level NBA scorer and offensive centerpiece, he has the physical and athletic tools to get there in due time. That's exactly what the Jazz are banking on with his selection in the top five, and could inevitably pay major dividends with the right development path.

Ace Bailey looks on after being selected as the fifth pick by the Jazz in the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft. — Jun 25, 2025; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Ace Bailey looks on after being selected as the fifth pick by the Utah in the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Clearly, Bailey is motivated to tap into that top-tier ceiling. And with a crew like the Jazz's staff led by head coach Will Hardy guiding him through the early motions of his NBA career, he'll have a great system in place to soon have that route to becoming the explosive star he's been advertised to become.

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