New Year's Resolutions for Trio of Jazz Rookies

It's a development year for the Utah Jazz.

Oct 29, 2024; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Jazz forward Cody Williams (5) reacts to making a three point shot against the Sacramento Kings during the fourth quarter at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images / Rob Gray-Imagn Images

The Utah Jazz are in the midst of a youth movement as they try to rebuild their team from the ground up. The Jazz have three rookies who have been given fairly consistent minutes and will play a more prominent role down the stretch. With a few months under their belt, let’s make a New Year's resolution for each of them. 

Cody Williams: Play With Confidence 

Nov 9, 2024; San Antonio, Texas, USA; Utah Jazz forward Cody Williams (5) in front of San Antonio Spurs guard Chris Paul (3) in the first half at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images / Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images

Williams, the 10th overall pick in last summer's draft, has had a strugglesome start to his career. He’s bounced back and forth between the NBA and the G-League and has struggled with the physicality of the NBA game. Williams’ 37.7% effective field goal percentage is amongst the worst in the league. 

Despite the struggles, Williams has shown glimmers of what made him so intriguing. He’s a 6’7 wing who can handle the ball, make high-level reads and passes, and score in a variety of ways, including elite touch around the basket. 

Williams is going to take time to develop. He needs time to get stronger and continue developing his shot. That doesn’t mean he can’t play with more force and confidence in the meantime. Williams put together a couple of his best games as a pro recently. If he continues to attack the basket, shoot open shots with confidence, and defend hard, he’ll be able to go into the off-season with a boost in confidence. 

Isaiah Collier: Take Care of the Ball 

Dec 30, 2024; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Jazz guard Isaiah Collier (13) brings the ball up the court during the second half against the Denver Nuggets at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Chris Nicoll-Imagn Images / Chris Nicoll-Imagn Images

Collier, the 29th pick in the 2024 draft, has been impressive in certain areas during his rookie campaign. He’s fast and physical with the ball in his hands, active in passing lanes, competes defensively, and is a willing and good passer. This has helped him carve out the team’s backup point guard role. 

Like many young guards, Collier struggles to care for the ball. His 6.6 turnovers per 100 possessions are second-worst in the league. Additionally, his 35.5% effective field goal percentage is even worse than Williams’. Collier will need time to iron out his shooting woes. However, he can make improvements in taking care of the ball. 

Collier has enough good things going for him that I feel confident in his long-term role with the team. If he can clean up the turnovers, primarily the sloppy ones where he dribbles into traffic and loses the ball, he’ll put himself in a great position going forward. 

Kyle Filipowski: Be Assertive 

Dec 8, 2024; Sacramento, California, USA; Utah Jazz forward Kyle Filipowski (front) handles the ball against Sacramento Kings center Orlando Robinson (back) during the first quarter at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images / Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

Filipowski, the 32nd pick in last year's draft, has been the team’s best rookie by a wide margin. After a second year in college, Flip was more ready for the NBA game. Before an ill-timed injury, Filipowski was starting and playing well for the team. 

My biggest hope for him as the season progresses is to get back to playing at the level he was at pre-injury. A lot of this comes from opportunity. Flip’s minutes have declined significantly since his

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