Utah Jazz basketball is BACK, baby! The Utah Jazz end up falling to the Kevin Durant-led Houston Rockets with the final score being 127-140…
Without Lauri Markkanen, Walker Kessler, Isaiah Collier, and Kyle Filipowski, the starting lineup for tonight’s game was rather interesting: PG: Keyonte George SG: Svi Mykhailiuk SF: Ace Bailey PF: Taylor Hendricks C: Jusuf Nurkic The 2 notable players who started on the bench this game are Brice Sensabaugh and Cody Williams. I think that it’s important to have
our young guys play next to veteran players throughout the year, but I am not sure if Svi provides any more than what Sensabaugh can already do. I am curious to see how the starting lineups are moved around as preseason kicks off, and what it will end up being on opening night.
NOW… on to the biggest stories of the night!
Ace Bailey: Preseason Debut
ACE BAILEY: 25 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, 1 block — 11/16 FG & 2/5 3FG
It’s a great sign that Ace Bailey is starting this early for the Jazz, for developmental purposes. Though I would probably like to have Ace come off the bench with Nurkic, it’s great that the Jazz trust him with starter responsibilities already. The top 5 pick, Ace Bailey, knocked down his first shot of the game, coming off an off-ball screen from Nurkic, where Ace had a dribble pull-up from the mid-range. The barrage of mid-ranges didn’t stop there, either — whether it was attacking a close-out, leading into a turnaround fadeaway, or more off-ball actions, Ace was money from that spot early. It wasn’t just because he was playing against the king of the mid-range, Kevin Durant; the mid-range is Ace’s spot. There has never been a drafted freshman in college (dating back to 2008) who took at least 200 non-rim 2s and scored them with a percentage over 45%, until Ace Bailey, and I assume if there ever has been one, it would’ve been Ace’s opponent tonight, Kevin Durant.
Ace Bailey started the second half strong with 2 quick triples and 2 steals, which led to easy transition dunks. One of Ace’s swing skills coming into the league was passing. He had a couple of nice dishes, particularly one where he ran a two-man game with Jusuf Nurkic and hit him on the roll for an easy bucket. Because Ace is surrounded by such great veteran passers in Kyle Anderson, Kevin Love, and Jusuf Nurkic, the Jazz would benefit insurmountably if Ace were consistently swinging the rock. If Ace passes the ball more, it will open the court for him, allowing him to get easier baskets.
One of the most important things this season, in my opinion, is not to overload Ace Bailey’s offensive workout — don’t let Ace bite more than he can chew. In other words, Ace’s game should be how it was played tonight against the Rockets: primarily coming off screens & actions, being a cutter, spotting up, and attacking when he needs to — not iso-ball and chucking. Overall, I am not going to be too critical of Ace Bailey throughout the year because he is so young, but I hope to see him try to understand NBA pacing and attempt to make the right plays, even if it results in a turnover or missed shot.
Taylor Hendricks: The Return
TAYLOR HENDRICKS: 15 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals — 5/9 FG & 4/8 3FG
One of the biggest stories of the night was the return of the no. 9 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, Taylor Hendricks! After an unfortunate leg injury early in the 2024-25 season, Taylor Hendricks is back and looks very healthy. In fact, Taylor started the game on fire! Hitting his first two shots of the game from deep, had a great stop on Kevin Durant, and then attacked a closeout and shot a nice little floater from about 7 feet out. On the court, Taylor looks like one of the Jazz’s most physically dominant players. I thought his impact was noticeable every moment he was on the floor, on both ends, and that’s exactly the kind of presence the Jazz will need in the future — players who can influence the game in multiple ways.
Taylor Hendricks is one of the few people on earth who can make Kevin Durant look like a regular-sized person. In the second half of the game, the barrage of 3-pointers and defensive stops didn’t end. The relentlessness of Taylor’s game is going to be crucial for Utah going forward.
Brice Sensabaugh: Sensa-tional
BRICE SENSABAUGH: 24 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 block — 9/15 FG & 6/10 3FG
Brice Sensabaugh came into the game doing what he said he was going to do, and that is shoot the crap out of the basketball. Ending the season last year, Brice showcased his scoring ability and was a hot topic among fans. The scoring bled into Summer League, and now it is evident that he can consistently be a terror for opposing teams because of his shot-making prowess.
Brice has said he has worked hard on his body this offseason, and it shows. He looked a lot more mobile tonight, and even caught a body, throwing it down on Jabari Smith Jr.! Brice Sensabaugh is contract extension eligible this coming offseason (along with the other players drafted in 2023), so this is a big year for Brice if he wants to cement his spot in the rotation, or even starting spot, of the future iteration of the Jazz.
Quick Hitters:
- Walter Clayton struggled in his debut, tallying only 7 points on 3/10 shooting. I’m not too worried about Walt; the league is typically harder on smaller guards in their rookie year, but because Walt is an older rookie, I would hope that he comes into his own sooner rather than later. He looked like he was trying to force the game to come to him rather than letting it happen naturally. He often disregarded plays run for others, but if he can slow the game down and be patient, the sky is the limit for this kid.
- Keyonte George looked solid offensively in this game against the Rockets. My favorite thing about tonight’s game was that he had 9 assists and 0 turnovers! The Jazz struggled with turnovers last year, so if Keyonte can handle the rock efficiently, then he could be someone to watch as the Jazz look to compete in the years to come. Despite having a solid scoring night (16 points on 63.6% FG) the defense was still lackluster. The league has grown sour to non-defensive guards, so hopefully Keyonte can find a way to be a presence on that side of the floor.
- The veteran leadership between Kevin Love, Kyle Anderson, and Jusuf Nurkic was fantastic. having seasoned guys on your roster makes it a lot easier for the young guys to find success. Ace Bailey was praising Nurkic’s passing during a training camp interview, and you could tell that he really likes playing with him, and it showed.
- Cody Williams is still yet to be found.
Houston Rockets:
- Kevin Durant looked really good in his new threads. He did what KD does and scored the rock, dropping 20 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, and grabbed 1 steal on 70% shooting. There were some lapses from him, but once he gets comfortable playing with his new team, Houston is going to be a force to be reckoned with.
- Alperen Sengun is an absolute offensive hub. After the Rockets sustained an unfortunate injury with Fred VanVleet going down, the playmaking is going to have to be run through Sengun. Sengun tallied 13 points, 5 rebounds, 13 assists, and ran away like a bandit with 4 steals. If I had one candidate to become a top 12 player in the NBA this year, it would be Sengun.
- Amen Thompson was a demon. His athleticism overwhelmed the Jazz many times throughout the game, especially on the defensive side of the basketball. Amen ended the game with 19 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block on 60% FG.
- Reed Sheppard, the former no. 3 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, looked really solid. The smaller guard can really shine by playing off of the basketball. He was one of the best shooters ever in college basketball, and if utilized correctly, Sheppard’s gravity will open up the floor to let the Houston Rockets’ stars do what they do best.
