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\u2026<\/p>\n
Without Lauri Markkanen, Walker Kessler, Isaiah Collier, and Kyle Filipowski, the starting lineup for tonight\u2019s game was rather interesting: NOW\u2026 on to the biggest stories of the night!<\/p>\n Ace Bailey: Preseason Debut<\/p>\n ACE BAILEY: 25 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, 1 block \u2014 11\/16 FG & 2\/5 3FG<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n It\u2019s 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\u2019s 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\u2019t stop there, either \u2014 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\u2019t just because he was playing against the king of the mid-range, Kevin Durant; the mid-range is Ace\u2019s 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\u2019ve been Ace\u2019s opponent tonight, Kevin Durant.<\/p>\n Ace Bailey started the second half strong with 2 quick triples and 2 steals, which led to easy transition dunks. One of Ace\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n One of the most important things this season, in my opinion, is not to overload Ace Bailey\u2019s offensive workout \u2014 don\u2019t let Ace bite more than he can chew. In other words, Ace\u2019s 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 \u2014 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.<\/p>\n Taylor Hendricks: The Return<\/p>\n TAYLOR HENDRICKS: 15 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals \u2014 5\/9 FG & 4\/8 3FG<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n 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\u2019s most physically dominant players. I thought his impact was noticeable every moment he was on the floor, on both ends, and that\u2019s exactly the kind of presence the Jazz will need in the future \u2014 players who can influence the game in multiple ways.<\/p>\n 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\u2019t end. The relentlessness of Taylor\u2019s game is going to be crucial for Utah going forward.<\/p>\n Brice Sensabaugh: Sensa-tional<\/p>\n BRICE SENSABAUGH: 24 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 block \u2014 9\/15 FG & 6\/10 3FG<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n
PG<\/strong>: Keyonte George
SG<\/strong>: Svi Mykhailiuk
SF<\/strong>: Ace Bailey
PF<\/strong>: Taylor Hendricks
C<\/strong>: Jusuf Nurkic
The 2 notable players who started on the bench this game are Brice Sensabaugh and Cody Williams. I think that it\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n\n
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