Breaking Down The Fit Between Isaiah Collier and Bronny James at USC
USC is one of the top basketball programs in the PAC-12 and projects to be in the conversation as the best team in their conference next year.
Per 247Sports, the USC Trojans have the third-best recruiting class in the entire country, as it includes five-star Isaiah Collier, four-star Bronny James, four-star Arrinten Page and three-star Brandon Gardner.
They also have DJ Rodman transferring from Washington State to USC. For those that don’t know, Rodman is the son of the NBA legend Dennis Rodman.
With all this talent coming in and returning a ton of key players, this USC team has a chance to be special. Let’s dive into how Collier and James can play off of each other:
Collier is one of the most gifted playmakers eligible for the 2024 NBA draft, as his feel for the game is off the charts and his vision is next to none. The combination of his speed, handle and advanced playmaking skills allows him to be seen as a true point guard that prioritizes creating open looks for his teammates.
James is a very well rounded combo guard that has the ability to play off of nearly any star player around him due to his shooting ability, perimeter defense and secondary playmaking chops. If he doesn’t end up reaching his ceiling, he still has a very appealing floor due to his 3-and-D archetype. The 6-foot-4 guard isn’t only getting hyped up as a potential lottery pick because he’s LeBron James' son, it’s because he’s a very good, well rounded player.
Collier will be the guy running the show for this USC team as James is more accustomed to playing an off-ball role and is much better as a shooter while not being as talented as a playmaker. James has the passing chops to be an efficient secondary creator which is probably his best suited role in the NBA.
This’ll be great for both players as they have the ability to play off of each other and if both players play with great intensity on the defensive end, we could be watching one of the best defensive backcourts in all of college basketball. These young freshmen will obviously go through their struggles as most freshmen too, but we’ll see glimpses early on in the season of what they could become. The sky's the limit for this young duo.
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