Photo by David Becker/Getty Images Could Isaiah Collier and Keyonte George be the backcourt of the future? While Isaiah Collier and the USC Trojans failed to make the 2024 March Madness tournament, he showed physical, on-ball defensive potential that has him currently projected as a lottery pick. He’s certainly a unique player: being built like a linebacker with point guard abilities. With Utah collecting the most turnovers in the league last season, having a genuine point guard might assist the Jazz in constructing a roster ready for “big game hunting”. Collier was once viewed as a top-5 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, but a hand injury suffered on January 10 tanked his draft stock by a margin. Regardless, Collier still has the potential to be the best point guard out of the entire class. Profile 2023-24 Stats: 27 games, 30.0 minutes, 16.3 points, 2.9 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 1.5 steals, 0.2 blocks, 49.0% FG, 33.8% 3P, 67.3% FT Team: USC Year: Freshman Position: PG Height & Weight: 6-5 | 210lbs Born: October 8, 2004 (19 years old) Hometown: Marietta, Georgia High School: Wheeler High School Strengths As the primary ball-handler at USC, Collier is terrific at finding his way to the rim, using his frame and combination of dribble moves to break down his defender. While being more of a score-first guard, Collier is also a natural floor general who can use his playmaking abilities to make his teammates better. But where Collier specializes the most is his on-ball defense. He collected 1.5 steals a game during his time at USC and put pressure on opponents by affecting passing lanes and forcing turnovers. His potential to be an instant impact on both ends of the floor could put project him as high as a top 5 prospect in the upcoming draft. Weaknesses Collier’s shaky free-throw percentage (67.3%) and sub-level efficiency from the field (49% FG, 33.8% 3P) might be the thing that makes NBA scouts see him as too raw of a talent. While having the frame for a modern NBA guard, Collier’s short 6’4” wingspan isn’t ideal for his size. He’s still trying to improve his skills as a guard, recording 3.3 turnovers per game in his freshman year, which may not be optimal considering the Jazz are working on Keyonte’s playmaking at the same time. Given his tendency to drive to the paint as well as his low percentage from deep, NBA defenses are going to be prone to sag on him. Conclusion Collier should only be drafted by the Jazz if there are no fallers in the top 8. There is high potential for him to run an NBA offense, but the situation is not ideal when the Jazz are working on Keyonte George’s ability to run the ball anyways. But that isn’t to say it would be a complete botch if he finds himself in a Jazz uniform — even if the team is skeptical about his poor shooting and turnover proneness as a point guard, he can still prove himself to be a valuable bench spark. https://www.youtube.com/embed/S39kpJbFe6A?rel=0
Source: https://www.slcdunk.com/2024/4/24/24138 ... ah-collier