Ace Bailey, Third-Year Players Thrive In Jazz Preseason Opener
Oct 8, 2025, 9:12 PM | Updated: 9:20 pm
Ace Bailey #19 of the Utah Jazz shoots the ball against the Houston Rockets (Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images)
(Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY – If the Utah Jazz were hoping to temper expectations for Ace Bailey in his rookie season, they’ll have to burn the footage of their 140-127 preseason opening loss to the Houston Rockets.
The 19-year-old led all scorers with 25 points, adding six rebounds, three assists, two steals, and a block in 31 minutes.
The Rockets were led by Kevin Durant, who scored 20 points in his Houston debut.
Ace Bailey Exceeds Hype In Utah Jazz Debut
Bailey wasted little time making his presence felt in the starting lineup for the Jazz, drilling a curling mid-range jump shot on the team’s opening possession, highlighting his natural scoring instincts and intriguing physical tools.
The fifth-overall pick upped his scoring total to nine points at the half before stringing together a truly impressive stretch of basketball in the third quarter.
Bailey racked up 10 points in the period on 4-5 shooting, including a pair of made three-pointers, a steal leading to a breakaway dunk, and a made jumper off of his only miss in the frame.
This is so good.
One dribble, gather, power off of two feet, and finish easily at the basket through the defense. Yeesh. pic.twitter.com/ubcFM3aOnv
— Ben Anderson (@BensHoops) October 9, 2025
The lanky wing would add six more points on a perfect 3-3 shooting in the fourth quarter to polish off his fabulous first outing.
Beyond his scoring, Bailey erased several narratives developed during his lone season at Rutgers, namely an inability to pass and a general disinterest on the defensive end.
The 6-foot-8 wing found Cody Williams for a driving dunk off of an offensive rebound, Brice Sensabaugh for a made three, and best of all, a one-handed hook pass to Jusuf Nurkic off the dribble for an easy lay-in.
Everything you were told about Ace Bailey at Rutgers was a lie. pic.twitter.com/bdTW1Mppo7
— Ben Anderson (@BensHoops) October 9, 2025
Like most rookies, Bailey has room to grow defensively, but his two steals and one block highlighted his ability to affect the game on both ends of the floor.
The Tennessee native can’t be expected to replicate Wednesday’s production every time he steps on the floor, but his first showing was better than anything Jazz fans could have wished for.
Third-Year Players Show Growth In Houston
Now entering their third years in the NBA, Keyonte George, Brice Sensabaugh, and, to a lesser extent, Taylor Hendricks are destined to draw sharper criticism within the Jazz’s organization.
George has had two years to master head coach Will Hardy’s offense, earning the start at point guard after being moved to a bench role last season.
The Baylor product had a promising showing, recording 16 points on 7-11 shooting while dishing out nine assists without committing a turnover.
George still isn’t the most natural floor general, but he made several impressive passes on the night, including two to Sensabaugh for easy baskets.
First, he threw an impressive skip pass to the sharpshooter for an open corner three, then found Sensabaugh driving to the basket with a left-handed pass for an easy lay-in.
just look at that grin, it’s 𝙨𝙤 good to be back 😁#TakeNote | @keyonte1george pic.twitter.com/f6JgQ2RPjy
— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) October 9, 2025
Most importantly, George seemed intent on letting the game come to him, rather than trying to force his way into the action, which he did too often as a rookie and sophomore, and finished the night as the Jazz’s only player without a negative plus-minus.
Sensabaugh continued his red-hot shooting to close last season, knocking down 6-10 threes against the Rockets en route to 24 points.
The 21-year-old still tends to overdribble when challenged by opposing defenses, but his shooting may truly be an elite skill, and one that is good enough to carve out a meaningful role in the NBA.
Perhaps the most welcome sign for Jazz fans was the return of Taylor Hendricks after last year’s devastating leg injury.
The third-year forward got the start in place of the injured Lauri Markkanen and Kyle Filipowski and made the most of his 27 minutes.
defense 🔁 offense pic.twitter.com/ZhnwasIQGd
— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) October 9, 2025
Hendricks knocked down two early threes and was 4-8 from downtown overall as he finished the night with 15 points, four rebounds, three assists, and two steals for the Jazz.
The Central Florida product showed little hesitancy in his return to the floor and appears prepared to be a fixture in Hardy’s rotation as soon as opening night.
Other Preseason Observations
The collective basketball IQ of Jusuf Nurkic, Kyle Anderson, and Kevin Love will be an asset for the Jazz for however long they’re on the team’s roster.
All three veterans have a general sense of floor spacing and ball movement that was absent from last year’s roster, and should make life easier for the young players around them.
vet setting the table for his rook 🍽️ pic.twitter.com/jEOfzP0Q6w
— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) October 9, 2025
Walt Clayton had a rough shooting night, knocking down just 3-10 from the floor and 1-7 from three. The guard finished with seven points, three assists, and three turnovers in 20 minutes off the bench.
Cody Williams looked bulkier and put forward some strong defensive possessions, but was still quiet overall. The second-year lottery pick scored two points on 1-5 shooting, and failed to record a rebound, an assist, a steal, or a block in 13 minutes on the floor.
Next Utah Jazz Broadcast
The Jazz will travel to face the San Antonio Spurs on Friday at 6 p.m. MST. The game will be televised on KJZZ, streamed on Jazz+, and heard on 97.5 The KSL Sports Zone.
Are you on Threads yet? Let’s connect, give us a follow @kslsports.
Ben Anderson is the Utah Jazz insider for KSL Sports and the co-host of Jake and Ben from 10-12p with Jake Scott on 97.5 The KSL Sports Zone. Find Ben on Twitter at @BensHoops, on Instagram @BensHoops, or on BlueSky.
