Jazz Rookie of the Year Chances: Williams, Collier, & Filipowski

Can the Utah Jazz do something that hasn't been done since 1981?

Oct 7, 2024; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Jazz guard Isaiah Collier (13) and head coach Will Hardy speak during a second quarter break in action against the Houston Rockets at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images / Rob Gray-Imagn Images

To win the NBA Rookie of the Year award, you need two things: talent and opportunity. Since the Utah Jazz franchise moved to Utah, Darrell Griffith has been the only player to win the award, which happened way back in 1981. Donovan Mitchell came close in 2018, though he ultimately came up short.

With a draft haul that brought the Jazz three rookies, could one of these guys end the team’s forty-plus-year drought? Let’s talk about it. 

Prospects 

The Jazz made Cody Williams the 10th player off the board in June’s NBA draft, which likely puts him in the best position if a Jazzman were to make a run at the award. Through a few preseason games, Williams has also been given a sizeable role off the bench for the Jazz. To make a real run at the wide-open award, he’ll have to start demonstrating more assertiveness offensively when the basketball finds him. 

Isaiah Collier was the team’s other first-round pick this summer. The former number-one high school recruit looks primed to take on the backup point guard responsibilities behind Keyonte George this season. While he likely sees fewer minutes than his teammate Williams, Collier will have the ball in his hands a lot. If things start to click and his minutes grow, Collier could force himself into the conversation. 

The 32nd pick in the draft and the Jazz’s third, Kyle Filipowski, is a skilled big man who was well-decorated during his two-year college career at Duke. Despite this, given the team's abundance of power forwards and centers, he has seen the fewest minutes so far in the preseason. It would likely take a move of some sort to open up the opportunity Flip would need to make a real push towards the award. 

Odds 

On the bright side, the rookie of the year race is wide open this season. Currently, Zach Edey of the Memphis Grizzlies is favored. Edey is followed by Reed Sheppard, Zaccharie Risacher, Alex Sarr, and Stephon Castle who round out the top five. 

Williams has the best odds of the Jazz players at +2000 to +3000. Collier’s odds sit between +3500 to +8000. Depending on the sportsbook, Filipowski has the longest shot with odds between +8000 and +15000. 

Conclusion 

The Jazz rookies are in a unique position given the big opportunity for minutes they will receive this season. While they’re all considered long shots, the race is wide open. Williams, in particular, could play a huge role this season for a rebuilding Jazz team with few wings on the roster. If he can find some aggressiveness offensively, he could gain some traction towards the elusive award.

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