Ace Bailey provides simple reminder Jazz fans should've known all along

Ace Bailey just had his best game with the Utah Jazz last night, putting up 20 points in their blowout win over the Indiana Pacers. Many have been waiting for Bailey to make his mark to the point that some got concerned that his early-season struggles could be indicative of him being a bust. Last night proved that there's no need to overreact to his early struggles with his career so young.

Because Bailey looked fantastic during the preseason, that perhaps placed some unfair expectations on him coming into his rookie season. It didn't help that he had been dealing with an illness and some knee issues early on. Because his early results didn't look too promising, that fueled doubt about what Bailey's long-term prospects were.

Bit by bit, Bailey got better, and not because he was lighting the box score up, but because he was making an effort to fit in with the Jazz's rotation. He wasn't demanding the ball at every turn like many of his skeptics thought he would before he started his NBA career, but in fact made a concerted effort to make the right play with his teammates.

With each passing game, it was clear that his confidence was growing, and it all culminated in his career-high performance against Indiana. Granted, it was against the Pacers, undoubtedly one of the worst teams in the NBA, but if there was an opportunity for Bailey to show the Jazz fanbase what his ceiling is, it was against Indiana.

With Bailey starting, expect better results no matter how long it takes

With Walker Kessler's season-ending injury, the Jazz have elevated Bailey to their starting lineup. The team hasn't dominated since integrating Bailey amongst the starters, but the message is clear as day that Utah truly believes in his abilities, and he's starting to reward the team for its faith in him.

When tasked with making his presence known against the Pacers, Bailey passed with flying colors. Now that he has shown that he is capable of lighting it up when he's on the floor, there's no reason for the Jazz to be pessimistic he can do it again. Does that mean he'll regularly put up performances like that? Probably not, but it's a step in the right direction.

Bailey will definitely have more growing pains as this season progresses, which is typically the case for 19-year-old rookies. There will be some bad statlines just as there will be some good statlines. Because of what he did last night, Bailey showed Jazz fans don't have anything to worry about long-term.

Bailey's performance against the Pacers will likely be viewed as the turning point for his rookie season. There's always the chance that he may never put up that statline again this year, but there's plenty of season left for him to top it. Even if he doesn't, 11 games into the season, Bailey has shown that at the very least, the Jazz won't see a repeat of Cody Williams' rookie season.

Far from it, in fact.