The NBA draft is over, and USC’s Isaiah Collier fell to No. 29 on the big board, nearly tumbling out of the first round. Why did Collier, who was projected as a late lottery pick (10-14) in mid-May and then a top-21 pick for most of June, fall outside the top 25 and nearly the top 30? We can start with the most obvious reasons. He did not have a good season at USC. He suffered a midseason injury which slowed his development and limited the amount of film NBA teams were able to gather on him against quality competition. Yet, something else seemed to be part of the equation for NBA organizations who passed on Collier.
Longtime NBA reporter and beat writer Marc Spears noted that without shoes, Isaiah Collier is 6-foot, 2.5 inches tall. Yet, USC listed Collier as a 6-5 player. That’s quite a difference: two and a half inches with and without shoes. If any team or executive saw the 6-5 listing and then realized Collier was actually shorter than 6-3, the natural thought is: “Why was Collier’s height being inflated?” That certainly doesn’t inspire confidence.
Next year at the NBA draft, just list a person’s actual height — without the shoes.
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