Ace Bailey was arguably the most polarizing player in the 2025 NBA Draft.
Ace Bailey was the only American-based prospect not to meet with any NBA teams prior to the draft. This led to him dropping from his initial projections as a top-three pick.
It was initially reported that Bailey didn’t want to go to the Utah Jazz and preferred the Washington Wizards at No. 6, but the Jazz still ended up taking him at No. 5.
The Jazz felt that Bailey was worth the risk and if he reaches anywhere close to his ceiling, he’ll wind up looking like a draft day steal.
Will Hardy says he watched early film of Kevin Durant and Jayson Tatum to help him coach Ace Bailey
It doesn’t hurt when a rookie makes a good first impression with his new team.
Bailey had everyone talking with his incredible performance against the Houston Rockets in his preseason debut.
Bailey showed off his star potential when he poured in 25 points on 11-for-16 shooting from the field to go along with 6 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals.
Before the game, Jazz head coach Will Hardy talked about how he watched film of Kevin Durant and Jayson Tatum from early in their career to help him figure out a roadmap for Bailey.
Durant and Tatum are currently two of the best forwards in the game today.
“A couple of players this summer and what their first couple of years in the league looked like, trying to understand what their pathway was.
“I think with guys like Kevin Durant and Jayson Tatum, we all know what it looks like now, and that can be distracting.
“So 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.
“I think there’s things to take away. I think understanding kind of 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? I think one of my biggest focal points in camp and in preseason and early in the season is, we can’t overreact to anything that happens with Ace, good or bad.
“I think we need to recognize this is the beginning of his career. He’s a young man and he’s trying to learn and grow.
“Ace has shown an incredible ability to learn. His energy level is contagious. You guys see him at shoot around today, he’s like that every day, all day.
“So I’m excited to get him out there, but there is a lot to learn from how other players began their careers and what that roadmap looks like.”
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Kevin Durant calls Ace Bailey a ‘dynamic player’
Everything that made Bailey a tremendous prospect at Rutgers was on full display against Houston.
Bailey’s self-creation was a revelation for a Jazz team that often struggles with that on the offensive end.
Durant was impressed with what he saw from Bailey, calling him a “dynamic player” after the game.
“I think he’s gonna be a helluva player. I love the coaching staff that he’s with, I love that he got drafted to Utah.
“Good development program over there…I’m expecting a big year and a big career for him and tonight he showed what he can do,” Durant said.
Throughout his 31 minutes of floor time, Bailey was a disruptive force on defense and was aggressive on offense. His shot selection was very good and most importantly he looked very comfortable with the ball in his hands.
It’s early, but the Jazz might have found something special in Bailey.
