We’ve officially reached the stage in the NBA’s regular season where you watch a game between two non-playoff teams and think to yourself, “who are these players?”
For the Utah Jazz, who are desperately trying everything in their power to raise their lottery odds and stay away from picks 9-16, the last few weeks have been filled with players that leave the viewer asking, “where did we get him from?”
But Ace Bailey, the Jazz’s 2025 No. 5 draft pick, is a name that everyone knows, and is one of the few
reasons to tune into the Jazz. In the sea of two-way players, 10-day contracts, and jerseys made the day of, Bailey sticks out, and his recent play is giving hope that he will be a key piece for a healthy, competing Jazz team next season.
How well is Ace Bailey playing in March?
This month has been Bailey’s best statistical month in the NBA by far.
In 10 games, Bailey is averaging 21.2 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.1 blocks per game. That’s seven points better than his second-best scoring month in three minutes less a game. He is also shooting incredibly efficient from deep, at 43.3% on 9.7 attempts per game.
His confidence is a lot higher than in previous months too, scoring on a lot more isolation opportunities and not hesitating and catch-and-shoot threes.
In his last four games is where you really see the ceiling for Bailey, averaging 28.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 2.3 blocks per game.
Against the Raptors — albeit, in a blowout loss — Bailey scored 37 points and had one of the nastiest blocks of the season, pinning RJ Barrett’s layup against the backboard. Moments on defense where he showcases his athleticism and length didn’t come as often as I would’ve liked during his rookie season, but they’re not missing entirely. He has all the skills to be a decent defender in the NBA, and hopefully with the Jazz’s length across the starting lineup in 2026-27, he can dig into that more.
How real is this?
It’s always hard to tell in situations like these if a player’s late-season stats actually mean anything. Just two years ago, Kenneth Lofton secured a near 30-point triple-double for Utah, and now he plays for the Shanghai Sharks.
However, I think back to earlier in the season when Lauri Markkanen and Keyonte George were playing night in and night out, and how Bailey was slowly but surely starting to mesh with the rest of the team. Making the right passes, cutting at the most opportune times, using his length as a good weak side defender.
Combine the slow process of getting him acclimated to the NBA game in November with the pure numbers that he’s putting up in March, and I think he could be a real impact player for a playoff-level Jazz team next season
