SALT LAKE CITY — If basketball doesn’t work out, Ace Bailey might have a future in voice acting.
Bailey broke into his best old man impression while describing how he pictured his first days in the NBA.
“You would think the veterans (would say), ‘I’ve been here 20 years, rook,'” he mimicked in a low, slow voice. “But they actually pour into the young guys. They give it back.”
And there’s been a lot to receive for Bailey and fellow first-round draftee Walter Clayton Jr. From the pace of play to the finer points of positioning, the jump from college to the pros has been an adjustment.
For Bailey, the 19-year-old bundle of energy, the experience has been both humbling and thrilling.
“A lot of learning, a lot of mess-ups, but it’s fun,” Bailey said with his now-trademark enthusiasm. “Everybody’s having fun, enjoying it.”
So what has he picked up in his first week of NBA practices?
“If you asked me in college how to rebound from a corner, I couldn’t tell ya,” he said with a smile. “I can tell you now that it’s better to go on the top side. But it’s a lot of stuff I’m learning that I never knew would be important to the game of basketball, so that’s a good thing.”
His eagerness to soak up knowledge has stood out to his teammates and coaches. He hasn’t been afraid to ask for help — peppering coaches and veterans with questions during practices.
“He’s willing to learn, and that’s what’s most important,” Kyle Anderson said. “Obviously, he’s a really good player. He can get out in transition and score; he’s a good shooter, he’s a great basketball player. He knows what he’s doing, but he’s also an open book.”
And, it seems, an unlimited source of energy.
Ace Bailey high-fives a student as the Utah Jazz surprise the students of East High School with a scrimmage in their gym in Salt Lake City, on Monday, Oct. 6, 2025. (Photo: Scott G Winterton, Deseret News)
“He’s made as many energy plays at practice as anybody,” Jazz coach Will Hardy said. “Crashing, couple of tip dunks, offensive rebounds, deflections, defensively, he’s flying around. But his attitude and personality is something that I’m excited for our fans to see on the court, because it’s so authentic.”
And as the days have gone by, he’s beginning to grasp the NBA game, too.
“Stuff is starting to slow down for me, so that’s a good thing,” he said.
For Clayton, though, it’s been about speeding things up.
“I think the big difference is the clock being 24 seconds,” the point guard said. “So a lot more possessions in the game with the shot clock being shorter. … Speed up, get it across half court, get your team set as quick as you can, try to get the best shot as early as possible.”
And the veterans have already taught him some old tricks of the trade, too.
“Don’t put your hand in that cookie jar, man,” Clayton said. “They’re swiping through for sure — they’re gonna call a foul on you. Learning that, and when to take chances and when not to. A big thing for me was being better with not turning the ball over.”
Clayton built a reputation as a big-shot maker in college — you could make a lengthy highlight reel of just the clutch shots he hit during Florida’s run to the national championship last spring.
He credits his ability to stay calm in those moments. That same mentality should help him in his first NBA season.
“Rookie year is gonna be a lot of ups and downs,” he said. “So just being able to fight through those and stay even keeled.”
Walter Clayton Jr. and the other members of the Utah Jazz greet the studets as they supprise them at East High School with a scrimmage in their gym in Salt Lake City, on Monday, Oct. 6, 2025. (Photo: Scott G Winterton, Deseret News)
It’s not a crazy thought to think that both Clayton and Bailey could play major roles this season for the Jazz.
Bailey will be given plenty of opportunities to shine, and Clayton could even compete for the team’s starting point guard spot. After all, he’s older than both Isaiah Collier and Keyonte George — and projects to be a more consistent shooter.
Still, any pressure that comes with that hasn’t seemed to overwhelm the rookies. The Jazz coaching staff has emphasized growth over perfection.
“Before training camp, I didn’t want to mess up,” Bailey said. “I’m a rook, you know how it is. You think you mess up, you gotta sit down. But now, coach Will, he’s one of those ones that’s just, ‘Hey, just have fun. It’s basketball; no pressure.'”
That approach has helped both players settle in.
“They’ve been competitive,” Jazz star Lauri Markkanen said. “They’re vocal. I think the biggest thing is they’ve been coachable, and not just the coach, but the players helping them, and so they’re adjusting. They are talented young players and I think their mindset has been good.”
And they’ll get their first taste of an NBA game on Wednesday in Utah’s preseason opener in Houston. Odds are, they’ll be smiling.
“I come in every day with a smile on my face,” Bailey said. “It’s a learning experience. It’s a great experience.”
The Key Takeaways for this article were generated with the assistance of large language models and reviewed by our editorial team. The article, itself, is solely human-written.