USC Basketball: Isaiah Collier Selected by Perennial East Contender in New Mock Draft

Will he still be a lottery pick, following an uneven freshman season?

Mar 13, 2024; Las Vegas, NV, USA; USC Trojans guard Isaiah Collier (1) shoots over Washington, / Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports

The Miami Heat, on the cusp of playoff elimination Monday night (they trail the mighty Boston Celtics 91-62 in their ongoing Game 5 contest, with Boston up in the series 3-1), clearly need a major influx of help.

The team has been particularly short on ballhandlers in this first round matchup, in no small part because All-NBA swingman and lead playmaker Jimmy Butler and starting point guard Terry Rozier are both sidelined.

It follows, then, that the Heat could be on the prowl for major help in the playmaking department via the draft, for which Miami has the No. 15 pick.

Soon-to-be-former USC Trojans point guard Isaiah Collier, who had been projected to be an elite lottery pick before his injury-riddled, disappointing 2023-24 freshman season knocked him down a few pegs in pundits' eyes, is projected as being selected by the Heat in a new mock draft from Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman.

Wasserman sees the 19-year-old prospect, who at 6-foot-5 and 210 pounds is fairly big for his position, as being a Tyreke Evans-esque talent, capable of using his strength and athleticism to dominate opposing players inside.

"The strength of the point guard position in the NBA could cause Isaiah Collier to fall out of the lottery," Wasserman writes. "Teams may be reluctant to draft a backup ball-handler near the top 10, but at some point, he should look like a best player available who's too difficult to pass on.The combination of strength and shiftiness separates Collier from other playmakers. The question is whether he'll improve his shot and decision-making, and if not, how much will his shooting limitations and turnovers devalue his game.Even if there isn't a starting spot open for Collier, his creativity and rim pressure should be well suited for a bench-spark role."

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