A year ago, Isaiah Collier was the highest-rated high school basketball player in the country. At the time, it was largely assumed that he would be a one-time top-five prospect in the 2024 NBA Draft.
But on Wednesday night, Collier was selected 29th overall in the 2024 NBA draft by the Utah Jazz. What is the reason for this drop?
League sources have indicated three main reasons Collier left lottery territory. First, in his only season at USC, a losing season that meant not appearing in the NCAA tournament, Collier had to deal with shooting inconsistencies and also had to miss part of the campaign due to a broken hand.
Second, the Trojans had Collier listed as 6-foot-5, but at the NBA Combine in Chicago, Collier measured 6-foot-2.5 without shoes. Third, he didn’t have particularly notable interviews or workouts with teams during the pre-draft process.
None of these things are red flags on their own, and even when combined, they don’t mean Collier will have a bad NBA career. He is still a powerful point guard who has incredible skill and was a highly valued player in high school who was drafted to the NBA in the first round for a reason.
“I was a little surprised at being 29 years old,” Collier said, “but I still feel like I’m one of the best players in this draft. “I’m just grateful for the opportunity Utah gave me and I can’t wait to get to work.”
First and foremost, Collier is a lethal downhill scorer, whether at the rim, through contact, floaters or any other situation. He is a great ball handler and incredibly capable playmaker who often makes passes that seem almost impossible.
He has some turnover issues and can be a bit risky with the ball, but he started to fix that in the latter part of his first season at USC.
On the shooting side, Collier was hovering around 33% from 3-point range and shooting under 70% from the free throw line, and he was no better in high school.
The inconsistency in his shot has worried some NBA scouts and executives, but it has been noted several times that Collier is known for his work ethic and desire to prove skeptics wrong.
“Not making excuses at all,” Jazz general manager Justin Zanik said, “but when you’ve been so dominant at the high school level, and even in college, to get into the paint whenever you want and be in the hoop when you want.” and you absolutely dominate your competition, which is your age, you can argue whether he’s had enough reps or not… I think he hasn’t shown it (shooting) as much either because he’s been so dominant.”
The Jazz didn’t have Collier for a pre-draft workout, but once he was still on the board when they were on the clock for the 29th pick, they felt he was worth a shot.
The Jazz not only believe Collier can develop a more consistent shot with some minor adjustments to his shot, but they also believe in his ability as a perimeter defender.
“I think he shoots well,” Zanik said. “Mechanically, I’m sure our coaches will be able to do some things, but what I think he also outlines is that I think he can be a very good defender with the body and the ability to see and read. I think that can be just as important defensively as well.”
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