Utah
Utah Jazz’ Isaiah Collier One Of The Best Rookies In The NBA?
The USC Trojans men’s basketball team had one of their worst seasons in recent memory during the 2023-24 campaign. Finishing just 15-18 overall, the Trojans had their lowest win total since the 2014-15 season, where USC had only 12 wins.
However, the Trojans did have a player selected in the first round of the 2024 NBA Draft when the Utah Jazz selected guard Isaiah Collier 29th overall. It was a flier pick by one of the league’s worst teams at the time, but Collier has truly blossomed into a viable option in the backcourt for the Jazz.
ESPN ranked Collier as the No. 14 rookie in the draft class in their final rookie rankings list.
Jeremy Woo of ESPN said that despite another rough season from Utah, Collier managed to get valuable in-game reps to progress his development.
“The Jazz handed Collier the point guard reins in January, and while Utah sits at the bottom of the Western Conference, he has gained valuable experience. He broke franchise legend John Stockton’s team record for rookie assists (416) and now leads all rookies in assists (and turnovers) per game,” Wood said.
In his lone season at USC, Collier averaged 16.3 points, 4.3 assists and 2.9 rebounds per game. The Georgia native suffered a hand injury that cost him a good chunk of the second half of the regular season, something that hurt his draft stock in the long run. Questions about his ball-handling and perimeter shooting also contributed to Collier’s fall on draft night.
“Collier struggles with his jumper and is mistake-prone, but his aggressiveness and playmaking chops running the offense have been a bright spot. Once viewed as one of the top overall prospects in the 2024 class, the Jazz took a low-risk swing on Collier after he fell in the draft. Utah might reap some value…if he becomes a better shooter and sharpens his decision-making,” Woo said.
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After struggling to find a defined role to begin the season, Collier settled into role on the team after it became apparent the team had no immediate future in the postseason. With only one game left in the regular season, Collier’s stat line at the end of the season should resemble something around eight points, six assists, and three rebounds per game.
That leaves him as the sixth-highest scoring Trojan in the NBA. Interestingly enough, every USC alum ahead of him on the list all play in the frontcourt, leaving Collier as one of the most up-and-coming guards in the NBA to come from USC.
Entering next season, the Jazz will have two expiring contracts at the guard position with Jordan Clarkson and Collin Sexton set to become free agents. If Collier has shown the front office that he is capable of running the point for the team, it could make the choice to build around their budding star easy.
Utah
Penalties to be enforced if Trump’s face covered on national park passes, reports say
SALT LAKE CITY — Those using a new national park pass who want to enjoy Utah’s “Mighty Five” better do so with President Donald Trump’s face perfectly intact, or you might pay a literal price.
The new annual park passes, which debuted on Jan. 1, feature Trump’s image alongside that of George Washington. At the same time as the release, the Department of the Interior reportedly updated its rules to ensure Trump’s face remains free and clear.
According to the Washington Post, the updated “Void if Altered” policy prohibits anyone from defacing the pass or covering up any images or information on the cards. Visitors found by rangers to have altered a pass by any means will be ordered to return it to its original condition or possibly be charged a regular entrance fee.
SFGate reported the policy originally prohibited any alteration of the signature portion of the pass, with the updated policy including the front of the card, with a warning that “writing on it or adding stickers or other coverings” is no longer allowed.
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Many believe the updated policy is in direct response to the large pushback over the inclusion of Trump, leaving people to share creative ways to hide the president’s image from passes, including stickers and sleeves.
Along with the suggestions on how to hide Trump’s image, a nonprofit environmental group has filed a lawsuit claiming its design did not comply with legislation that requires public participation in the selection.
Utah
Two killed, six wounded in shooting outside Mormon church in Utah
Two people were killed, and at least six were wounded when gunfire erupted outside a funeral at a Mormon church in Utah on Wednesday night, according to authorities and reports.
Eight people were hit by gunfire when shots rang out outside The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Redwood Road in Salt Lake City around 7:30 p.m., Salt Lake City Police Department spokesperson Glen Mills told the Salt Lake City Tribune.
Two people were killed, and six people were injured in the shooting that occurred outside in the church’s parking lot as dozens were attending a funeral service inside.
Of the six wounded, three individuals are in critical condition, the Salt Lake City Police Department posted on X. All of the victims were adults.
There were no suspects in custody as of late Wednesday night, and it is not immediately clear if there were multiple gunmen involved. A motive was also unknown.
However, police said they have obtained solid leads in the investigation and are working to locate individuals involved in the shooting.
“We believe this was not a random incident,” Salt Lake City Police Chief Brian Redd told reporters.
The shooting was not believed to be targeting a religion, Redd clarified.
Roughly 100 law enforcement vehicles swarmed the area in the aftermath of the gunfire as helicopters flew overhead.
The area around the Mormon church remained closed into the evening as authorities urged the public to stay clear of the still active scene.
“This should never have happened outside a place of worship. This should never have happened outside a celebration of life,” said Mayor Erin Mendenhall.
The Salt Lake City Police Department did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment.
The incident remains under investigation.
With Post wires.
Utah
Kevin Love Admits He Didn’t See Jazz Trade Coming
The Utah Jazz’s experiment to bring in 18-year league veteran Kevin Love thus far into the 2025-26 campaign has been a pretty solid success in the first two-plus months of the season.
Love has been a positive voice in the locker room as the most tenured NBA veteran on the roster, he’s been vocal about enjoying his time and role with the organization, and for his time on the floor throughout the first 30 or so games of the regular season, he’s nestled into a consistent rotational player as the Jazz’s backup center as Walker Kessler has been out with a shoulder injury.
But when he first arrived in Utah via a three-team trade from the Miami Heat, packed within the deal that sent John Collins to the LA Clippers, Love didn’t quite know what to expect out of his experience; he didn’t even anticipate being traded to the Jazz in the first place.
“I didn’t know what to expect when I got here, but I’ve been very pleasantly surprised from everything, from ownership, and Ryan Smith to the front office to the coaching staff, players all the way through,” Love said of the Jazz on The Old Man and the Three. “It’s been a blessing in my 18th year to be a part of this team and some place, I mean, you never know where you’re going to end up.”
“I did not expect to be traded but as far as a landing spot goes and just saying, yeah, so many people are saying ‘Oh what if it doesn’t work out? What if it doesn’t work out?’ I’m like ‘What if it does?’, right?And I think just adding value whether I’m playing or not is something that’s given me a lot of happiness and a lot of joy this late in my career. And I think that has allowed me to see a lot of the good and what this team has been able to bring and move forward.”
Kevin Love Settling in Nicely With Utah Jazz
Love’s value stretches both on and off the floor for the Jazz, which makes sense for why the veteran big man has been loving his time since being on the roster. The 2016 NBA champion was vocal before the season about his desire to be a value add for wherever that may be, including Utah, and he’s been able to carve out just the right role for himself at this point in his career.
During his 20 games played for the Jazz this season, Love has averaged 7.2 points, 5.4 rebounds, and shooting 41.1% from the field in just over 17 minutes a night when he plays, and has proven he can still be a guy worthy of a few minutes down the rotation to fill out an NBA frontcourt, as he has for the year in Utah so far.
It remains to be seen just how long Love’s time in Utah will last. There’s not even a guarantee that the 37-year-old will finish the regular season on the roster, depending on how the next few weeks transpire around the trade deadline and as the buyout market begins to gain some traction. But, for the time that he is in Salt Lake City, he’s made it into a nice home for what’s now the fourth roster he’s been on through nearly two decades in the league.
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