Jan. 29, 2026, 1:30 p.m. ET

After another productive outing on Wednesday, Utah Jazz coach Will Hardy can see the progress that rookie Ace Bailey is making each time he steps onto the court.

Bailey finished with 19 points, seven rebounds, four assists, two steals and one blocked shot in a 140-124 loss against the Golden State Warriors. He went 8-of-15 from the field, including 3-of-7 from 3-point range, in 34 minutes of work.

The fifth overall pick dazzled throughout the game with his movement and cutting, creating open shot attempts for himself. He also made several plays for his teammates out of pick-and-roll situations, making high-level reads and passes, which stood out to Hardy.

“Ace is getting better,” Hardy said. “I’m really excited about his progress. He is showing us each night a higher level of understanding of how he can impact the game. He is finding a variety of shots: His catch-and-shoot 3; he is finding ways to be creative off the bounce, especially late in the clock, getting to his little fadeaway; and some of his isolation stuff is very good. He has been a great cutter for us all year; plays with a lot of energy.”

Bailey is averaging 11.3 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.7 assists while shooting 34.8% from 3-point range in 41 appearances with the Jazz. He is eighth in scoring among rookies and is one of seven first-year players with at least six 20-point performances.

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The former Rutgers standout returned from a hip injury on Jan. 14, averaging 16.3 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.2 assists in nine games. He became the youngest player in franchise history to score at least 25 points in a game on Jan. 22 (19 years, 162 days).

Bailey appears to be in a solid groove on the court, scoring at least 10 points in a season-high five straight games. He has impressed those around him over the first half of the season and is showcasing himself at a high level nightly.

“I think it is starting to slow down for him a little bit,” Hardy said. “I feel like, early in the year, the reads weren’t quite as clean, getting used to his teammates and the style of play, and just the pace of the NBA. But Ace is showing a lot of improvement.”