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.