Jason Terry knows a thing or two about excelling as a shooter.
The longtime NBA legend played 19 seasons in the league, winning the Sixth Man of the Year award during the 2008–09 season. Terry finished his career as a 38.0% shooter from beyond the arc, shooting a career-high 43.8% from 3-point range during the 2006–07 season, when the Dallas Mavericks posted the league’s best record at 67–15.
Terry currently serves as an assistant coach for the Utah Jazz, a role he has held since the 2022–23 season. One of the Jazz’s most promising young players is none other than Ace Bailey, who was their top pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. Bailey was selected with the fifth overall selection in the draft after averaging 17.6 points per game during his lone season at Rutgers.
In the first half of the season, the 6-foot-9 Bailey has played a key role in the rotation for the Jazz, averaging 11.7 points and 3.9 rebounds per game in 49 games and 38 starts. Terry has high expectations for Bailey, even comparing him to Hall of Fame guard Ray Allen when it comes to his early release.
Allen was a 10-time All-Star who is considered one of the best 3-point shooters of all time.
Terry said in a personal interview, “There are no limits for Ace Bailey, because he’s a blank canvas.” “He’s only 19 years old. He’s coming on. He’s raw, but he has supreme athleticism and shooting ability – he could be one of the great shooters from long range, when it’s all said and done. He has a quick release, and he gets it off. He gets it over quickly, kind of like a Ray Allen type of release. He doesn’t jump that high. But as far as hitting that shot. He gets it over with pretty quickly.”
So far this season, Bailey is converting 45.0% of his attempts and 34.0% of his 3-point shots. Terry said where Bailey will excel in his 3-point attempts is “coming off screens on pin downs” and shooting 3-pointers in transition.
Bailey clearly has a long way to go before he’s in the same league as Allen, but he’s getting significant playing time as part of a rebuilding effort in Utah. The 19-year-old ranks fourth in points and fifth in 3-pointers made on the Jazz.
As noted, Bailey only spent one year in college. Plus, considering Utah is in obvious rebuilding mode, he’ll have all the time in the world to develop. At 18-38, they currently sit in 13th place in the Western Conference after posting the worst record in the NBA last season at 17-65.
The sky is definitely the limit for the 6-foot-9 small forward.
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