The Utah Jazz‘s latest combination within the starting five has remained relatively productive through their initial sample size.
Since Ace Bailey has been elevated into the starting five, the Jazz’s first lineup on the floor has put together a positive point differential when on the floor, has emerged as a strong collective unit on the glass, and with the combination of Keyonte George and Lauri Markkanen scoring at the rates they’ve been, have been a positive group offensively as well.
Despite the Jazz losing four of their last five games, those bright spots in the starting lineup have still managed to stand out for head coach Will Hardy, and his biggest takeaway of that success centers on their ability to play as an efficient collective unit.
“I think they’re playing as a group,” Hardy said of the Jazz’s starting five. “I think in the half court, they’ve executed pretty well. I think we have a team when we start the game, the group understands how they fit together.”
Keyonte [George] has obviously taken a leap this year in terms of his ability, his scoring, even some of his playmaking, Lauri [Markkanen] draws a lot of attention. But, I’ve been probably most impressed with how Ace [Bailey] is continuing to grow with that group.”
George brings the necessary playmaking and shot-creation in the frontcourt, Bailey offers nice length, scoring upside, and rebounding ability, and everyone knows the type of impact Markkanen can bring on a nightly basis. That’s a group that fits well on the floor with one another, and brings a versatile skillset, especially offensively, that becomes difficult to contain.
Will Hardy Highlights Jusuf Nurkic, Svi Mykhailiuk
Nov 28, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Jazz guard Svi Mykhailiuk (10) warms up before the game against the Sacramento Kings at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Chris Nicoll-Imagn Images | Chris Nicoll-Imagn Images
But outside of the three premier pieces that are Markkanen, George, and Bailey, Hardy has also seen notable positives out of the other two parts of the supporting cast: Jusuf Nurkic and Svi Mykhailiuk, who fill their respective roles where necessary.
“[Jusuf Nurkic] is really unsung for us. 
He really spends the entire game getting everybody else open. He’s an elite screener, does a great job on the glass. “
“Then, we’ve talked about Svi [Mykhailiuk], maybe once this year, and that’s probably not enough. 
I think Svi has been the real bright spot for us this year, in terms of his ability to catch and shoot, his movement off the ball. As the season has gone on, Svi has kept things simpler and simpler, and I think it’s made his performance go up.”
“So that group is, they fit together well, and I think they understand how to help each other. 
It’s probably the biggest thing I see from them.”
With Bailey going down with a minor knee injury against the Sacramento Kings, that could put his status for the immediate future up in the air, that would lead to a bit of a shakeup within Utah’s productive starting five. But when fully healthy, Hardy is a big fan of what he’s seen from the first five on the floor just under 20 games into the year.
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