Isaiah Collier’s likely role and minutes in Year 1 for Utah Jazz

Isaiah Collier will likely come off the bench but should get decent minutes (at least 15 per game) in his rookie season.

Wednesday night the Utah Jazz selected USC freshman guard Isaiah Collier with the 29th overall pick in the first round of the NBA draft. The freshman phenom fell way out of the lottery in the first round. Collier, the No. 1 recruit in the nation in the 2023 class, averaged 16.3 points, 4.3 assists and 2.9 rebounds per game last season for Andy Enfield and the USC Trojans.

Collier struggled during his freshman season and suffered a fracture to his hand in January, but now he has an opportunity to battle for point guard minutes with the Jazz.

At 6’5 Collier is a combo guard who can play the point and has the athleticism and elusiveness to play the shooting guard position as well. Collier can bring tons of energy to the floor and add pressure to a defense with his ball-handling, shiftiness and strength.

His frame also is sturdy and enables him to finish through contact at the rim. His decision-making can be shaky, but he’s a threatening setup man due to his elusiveness, gravity and passing skill. Turnovers will have to be limited for the rookie to have minutes on the Utah Jazz roster.

The Georgia native reminds me of Tyreke Hill and D’Angelo Russell for his ceiling in the NBA. Expect Collier to make an impact on this Jazz team with his instant offense off the bench. He won’t be a starter but will certainly get his share of minutes in Utah under coach Will Hardy.

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