Ace Bailey may be forcing a quick revision of the conversation around him.
He didn’t generate the loudest individual buzz this summer, in part because the attention around the Utah Jazz was already tilted toward the team and its newest headliner, Darryn Peterson. But Bailey’s preseason has pushed him back into the spotlight, and the early signs suggest the Jazz may have something far more advanced than people expected.
The biggest surprise isn’t just how well he’s played - it’s how ready he looks. Bailey’s body appears more NBA-ready, and his game is beginning to match the physical tools that have always made him such a compelling prospect. The talk about him eventually becoming an All-Star has already started, and the feeling around him is simple: it’s a matter of when, not if.
Even if that leap doesn’t happen this season, Bailey has two awards in reach right away: Sixth Man of the Year and Most Improved Player. If he were somehow to pull off both, he’d join a very small slice of league history. The last and only player to win both in the same season was Darrell Armstrong in 1999.
Part of what makes Bailey so intriguing is how his game fits in the Jazz’s current setup. He may not open the year as a starter, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
With Peterson, Keyonte George, Lauri Markkanen, and Jaren Jackson Jr. around him, touches would be limited in a starting role. But that same group also makes Utah’s starting five its most dangerous option.
The real opportunity could come with Bailey running the second unit. In that setting, he can take over possessions and attack in ways that suit him best.
And this isn’t just about raw talent anymore. He’s showing feel.
He’s showing IQ.
One sequence captured that nicely: Bailey forced a turnover, then delivered a halfcourt heave to Markkanen for the fastbreak dunk. That kind of play doesn’t happen by accident. It takes awareness, timing, and the willingness to make the next read.
He’s also flashed as a passer, including a lob to the long and athletic Jaxson Hayes for an alley-oop. Those moments matter because they point to a player becoming more complete.
The scoring and leaping ability were never the question. The real development is that, when the game opens up for him, Bailey appears capable of making the right decision over and over.
That kind of growth can come faster than expected. For the Jazz, that would be a huge development. If Bailey thrives in a super-sub role, he becomes a real contender for both MIP and 6MOY.
Utah has already produced winners in those categories - Lauri Markkanen took Most Improved Player in 2023, and Jordan Clarkson won Sixth Man of the Year in 2021.
After performances like this, the reaction around Bailey shouldn’t be surprise anymore. The better question is what his ceiling actually looks like. Even if he ends up with one of those awards, or both, that would only be the beginning.
In Other News...
Jazz Get An Early Look At A Crucial Center Battle
Jusuf Nurkics absence is already forcing the Jazz to take a hard look at a spot that suddenly feels much thinner than it did a week ago. After the trade of Walker Kessler, Nurkic was the most proven center option on the roster, which made his toe injury especially costly as Utah tried to sort out the frontcourt rotation.
Jaren Jackson Jr., Jaxson Hayes and Mo Bamba are among the players who could be asked to cover the minutes, and the picture gets even tighter with Kyle Filipowski sidelined for the upcoming game because of a lower back injury. That leaves Hayes and Bamba with a clearer chance to grab some run, and perhaps a more meaningful opportunity to show where they fit while the Jazz wait for the front line to get healthy again. [Read more 🡒]
Jazz Get An Unusual Preseason Test Against A Short-Handed Spurs
The Jazz head into their third preseason game with a familiar wrinkle in the injury report, as three players have been ruled out for the meeting with San Antonio at the Delta Center. Kyle Filipowski and Jusuf Nurki are among the absences, leaving Utah to continue its preseason work without two frontcourt pieces who have already been unavailable since camp began. Tipoff is set for 7 PM MT, and even in October, availability is shaping the way the Jazz can evaluate their rotation.
San Antonio, meanwhile, is dealing with an even longer list of absences, with nine players sidelined and its entire starting five unavailable because of injuries and rest. That creates a preseason setting unlike the usual one, with both teams forced to lean on deeper parts of the roster and younger players who may get far more minutes than expected. For Utah, the matchup still offers a useful look at lineups and ball movement, but the real challenge may be getting a clean read on anything with so many key names missing on both sides. [Read more 🡒]
Spurs Still Havent Given Fans The Lineup Theyre Waiting For
The preseason meeting between the Jazz and Spurs already had a different feel before tipoff, with San Antonio planning to sit a long list of players and Utah also dealing with notable absences. Kyle Filipowski will not go, and Jusuf Nurki is out with a foot injury, while Tobias Harris is set to miss the entire preseason because of a calf strain and Carter Bryant remains sidelined after an ankle injury.
For the Spurs, the bigger development is how much of the roster they are choosing to protect this early in camp. Even as the exhibition schedule is supposed to help teams sort out lineups and roles, San Antonio is holding out a group that includes Victor Wembanyama and De'Aaron Fox, leaving the Jazz to navigate a matchup that is missing a lot of the names fans were hoping to see. [Read more 🡒]