Grading Jazz's No. 29 Overall Pick Isaiah Collier

Isaiah Collier wasn't expected to be there at No. 29 on draft night.

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-USA TODAY Sports / Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports

What a night for the Utah Jazz. Isaiah Collier, the number one ranked player coming out of high school a year ago, slid all the way down to the Jazz, who waited patiently for the explosive guard to slide into their laps at 29. Collier was the second of Utah’s first-round picks, but he should have had the opportunity to be an immediate impact player for the Jazz. Let’s discuss why Collier was such a great pick for the Jazz.

Physicals: 6’2.5 without shoes, 205 lbs, 6’4.75 wingspan, 19 years old.

Stats per game: 16.3 points, 4.3 assists, 2.9 rebounds, 1.5 steals, 49% FG, 33.8% 3P, 67.3% FT.

Collier is a dynamic point guard who uses his strong frame, elite burst, and excellent touch to get downhill at will and terrorize defenses. He is one of the most talented offensive players in the entire draft, and he inexplicably fell into Utah’s lap.

Collier played for a USC team that underwhelmed across the board. USC sputtered out of the gates and a January hand injury ultimately halted much of the draft steam Collier had at that point. Despite this injury and his team underwhelming, Collier returned and had a dynamite ending to his freshman season. His 31-point explosion in a late-game win against Washington was one of the single most impressive showings from any freshman in college basketball last season.

Collier is a very good athlete who is nearly impossible for defenders to stay in front of. Like now teammate Collin Sexton, Collier will give the Jazz instant rim pressure whenever he touches the court. Collier is less of a vertical athlete than guards like Ja Morant, Russell Westbrook, and John Wall, but he has the strength and burst of athletically gifted guards of that type.

Isaiah Collier possesses some of the highest upside in the class. Impossible to stay in front of. Great finisher. Flashes of elite passing. #1 player in HS class.

16-4-3 on 49/34/67 splits.

I’d be happy with him at 10. If he slides, I’m begging the Jazz to trade up for him. pic.twitter.com/8dyRkgDCkK

— AJ (@AJ3Jazz) May 23, 2024

Collier is a very good passer off of a live dribble. He makes advanced reads with the ball in his hands and is truly one of the best playmakers in the class. His decision-making needs a lot of cleaning up, but the raw talent is there to be a consistently good playmaker out of pick and roll and as a driver. At 19 years old, Collier will have plenty of time to develop either alongside or behind Keyonte George.

Collier’s shot is his biggest question mark. His struggles from the free throw line (67.3%) are concerning, yet he averaged a three-point make per game. Because he’s so good at getting downhill and either getting fouled or finishing at the rim, Collier doesn’t need to be anything more than an average shooter to make an impact. If he can improve his shot, his ceiling will continue to rise.

Setting lofty expectations for the 29th pick in the draft is unfair. History tells us those guys have their work cut out for them to make it in the league, but I think Collier has the makings of a draft-day steal. I’m a big fan of betting on high-pedigree prospects, Dereck Lively was the example last year of a highly touted high school talent whose college career went worse than expected. Last time I checked, he had a pretty good rookie year. Collier immediately becomes a candidate to bounce back in a big way with NBA spacing. The Jazz got a lottery-level talent without burning assets to trade up.

 

 Grade: A

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