Ace Bailey’s NBA Wake-Up Call: Rookie Reflects on Early Bench, Booker Matchup, and Learning the Hard Way
Every NBA rookie has that moment - the one that snaps them out of the college mindset and into the reality of the pros. For Utah Jazz guard Ace Bailey, it came fast, and it came hard.
Just a few games into his NBA career, Bailey found himself face-to-face with one of the league’s most polished scorers - and face-to-face with the consequences of not bringing it defensively. In a recent appearance on The Young Man & The Three podcast, Bailey opened up about the night he learned that in the NBA, defense isn’t optional. It was the Jazz’s third game of the season, and Bailey was matched up against Devin Booker.
“Will took me out in the first five minutes,” Bailey said, referring to head coach Will Hardy. “I wasn’t playing defense.
I was like wow. You don’t play defense, you can’t play at all.”
That moment - a quick hook just minutes into the game - wasn’t just a teaching point. It was a reality check. And it came against one of the most lethal scorers in the league.
“I was guarding D-Book. It was Phoenix.
First game vs. D-Book.
That was my first time vs. him,” Bailey recalled. “Me watching film, I’m thinking film was enough.
I should’ve been preparing the night before that. I mean it’s D-Book, so it's just like me coming in, not knowing the physicality of the game.
It’s different.”
Different is right. Booker went on to torch the Jazz for 34 points, 10 assists, five rebounds and a block in 44 minutes of action.
He shot 11-for-26 from the field, including 5-for-12 from deep and 7-for-12 at the line. It was a full-on Booker performance - efficient, relentless, and physical.
For Bailey, it was a crash course in NBA defense, taught by one of the best in the business.
Despite the early benching, Utah walked away with a 138-134 overtime win at the Delta Center. Bailey finished with six points, one rebound and one assist in 14 minutes, shooting 2-for-9 from the floor and 2-for-5 from three. Not a stat line to write home about, but the night clearly left a lasting impression - not in the box score, but in Bailey’s understanding of what it takes to compete at this level.
Since that early stumble, Bailey’s carved out a more consistent role in Hardy’s rotation. The No. 5 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft has appeared in 29 games this season, starting 20 of them.
He’s averaging 10.7 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game, while shooting 44.1% from the field and 35.7% from three in just over 24 minutes a night. The flashes of talent are there - the smooth shooting stroke, the athleticism, the confidence.
But more importantly, the lessons are starting to stick.
Rookies don’t come into the league as finished products. They come in with potential, and they grow through moments like the one Bailey experienced against Phoenix.
Getting benched for defensive lapses isn’t fun, but it’s part of the process. And for Bailey, it seems to have sparked a deeper understanding of the grind ahead.
Utah, sitting at 10-19, is still trying to find its footing this season. The Jazz are in the middle of a four-game skid and will look to get back on track when they host the red-hot Detroit Pistons (24-6) on Friday night. For Bailey and the rest of this young roster, every game is another opportunity to learn, grow, and take the next step.
Because in the NBA, the lessons come fast - and the league doesn’t wait for anyone to catch up.