The Utah Jazz Are Finally Hitting the Right Notes

The Utah Jazz have been one of the toughest teams to watch in the NBA over the past few seasons.

The biggest issue for Utah has been the lack of engagement from fans—and the reason is no mystery. The team’s young players have underperformed, injuries have plagued the starters, and former All-Star Lauri Markkanen experienced his worst statistical season since joining Utah in 2022.

Now, though, fans who watched the preseason finally have something to get excited about.

A Peek at Bailey’s Talent

When discussing the renewed excitement among Jazz fans, nothing tops the hype surrounding Ace Bailey. Bailey has been a hot topic since being drafted fifth overall in June, but he showed that he’s NBA-ready and a star in the making with his preseason performance. While his 16 points per game in the preseason may not jump off the page, his efficiency does.

Across three games, Bailey shot 58.8% from the field and 41.7% from three. Defensively, he recorded 5 steals and 1 block. It’s rare for a rookie to look this comfortable against pros, but Bailey’s ability to create open looks, shoot at a high percentage, and lock down defensively is impressive, if not unprecedented.

“Dynamic player…” said Kevin Durant following his matchup against Bailey during preseason. “I love that he got drafted to Utah, they got a good development program over there… I’m expecting a big year from him and a big career.”