Rookie Outlook: Jazz's Isaiah Collier

After just a season at USC, Isaiah Collier landed with the Utah Jazz at the tail end of the first round in June. What might he be capable of doing in his first NBA season?

Mar 13, 2024; Las Vegas, NV, USA; USC Trojans guard Isaiah Collier (1) shoots over Washington Huskies forward Wilhelm Breidenbach (32) during the second half at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images / Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

A product from Georgia and a year at USC, Isaiah Collier enters the NBA with promise as a well-built, downhill scorer and conscientious playmaker. His lone season at USC saw him pinned with some profound expectations, with talks of him being first overall being floated around at first look before his stock took a dip as the season progressed and into the 2024 NBA Draft in June.

Collier still made his own over the course of the season of course, averaging 16.3 points on 49% shooting per game while adding 1.5 steals as well. His production was great as a scorer, but his playmaking efficiency lacked having fairly underwhelming assist-to-turnover ratio, 4.3 assists to 3.3 turnovers. His action was there, however his decision making caused issues for the Trojans who landed at No. 121 among Division I teams last season.

But now he enters the professional realm, touching base with the Utah Jazz at 29th overall and now looks to serve as the team's backup point guard, behind Keyonte George and Collin Sexton. Collier offers something a bit different than George and in some similarity to Sexton, but his ability to score the ball while leveraging his physical attributes makes for an additional dynamic in Utah, something they'll need to discover as they navigate the bottom of the Western Conference.

He'll be able to play off Lauri Markkanen and John Collins quite well, making two targets who can get the ball in the cup for him and render his decision-making a bit easier, as Walker Kessler could also add when tagged in the same lineup.

Collier has an uphill climb to establish his particular role and identity with the Jazz and in the NBA entirely, but his physical makeup and fearlessness as an offensive initiator should bode well for the former USC Trojan.

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