Utah Jazz Seeing Real Progress From Ace Bailey

The Utah Jazz didn't get to see their fifth-overall pick, Ace Bailey, selected as one of 10 lucky rookies to compete in this year's Rising Stars action at NBA All-Star Weekend, but that certainly doesn't mean the team hasn't seen some positive showings from their top-rated rookie in the first part of the season.

In his past nine starts, Bailey is averaging an impressive 16.3 points per game while shooting 49.6% from the field, combined with 4.6 rebounds and 2.6 assists; miles ahead of the numbers he began with in the first couple of weeks to a month of his rookie campaign.

During the Jazz's latest matchup vs. the Golden State Warriors, it was the fourth time in his last five games scoring 19 or more points, a stat line of 19-7-4 with two steals and a block to chip in nicely on the defensive end as well.

Especially since the new year, Bailey has increasingly gotten comfortable and found his groove within the Jazz's lineup on both sides of the ball to create a nice impact on the floor; something that Will Hardy made sure to give credit for after Utah's latest loss to the Warriors.

"Yeah, Ace is getting better," Hardy said after the Jazz's loss to Golden State.

"I'm really excited about his progress. He's showing us each night a higher level of understanding of how he can impact the game. He's finding a variety of shots, his catch-and-shoot three, he's finding ways to be creative off the bounce, especially late in the clock with his little fade-away, and some of his isolation stuff, it's very good."

“I’m really excited about his progress.” 🎙️

Coach Hardy on Ace’s growth 📈 pic.twitter.com/GuejwzkDEq
— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) January 29, 2026

"He's been a great cutter for us all year, plays with a lot of energy. I think it's starting to slow down for him a little bit," Hardy said of Bailey. " I feel like early in the year, the reads weren't quite as clean; getting used to his teammates and the style of play and the pace of the NBA. But, Ace is showing a lot of improvement."

Will Hardy Seeing Strong Growth From Ace Bailey

While the first couple of weeks of his NBA career started off a bit shakier than expected, it wouldn't take long for Bailey to settle into the appealing young prospect that he was projected to be coming into last summer's draft.

Bailey's finding more and more nights where he's making a considerable dent on the stat sheet, working on and off the ball to find his shots and opportunities, and through the past few performances he's been on the floor for, it's panning out for him in a big way.

Jan 28, 2026; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Jazz guard Ace Bailey (19) goes to the basket for a dunk against the Golden State Warriors during the first half at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

As the season moves forward, expect more and more responsibilities to be added onto Bailey's plate to see just where he's at in his development before entering this summer for a critical offseason heading into year two.

So far, he's looking more than capable of being ready to shoulder those expanded opportunities. And for Will Hardy, certainly makes for an exciting future of coaching ahead for Jazz basketball––especially when paired next to the offensive skillsets of Keyonte George and Lauri Markkanen like he was against the Warriors.

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