Did Isaiah Collier hurt his draft stock playing with Bronny James?
At one point, Isaiah Collier was projected as the No. 1 pick for the 2024 NBA Draft. However, after his lone season at USC, he experienced a significant drop and was selected 29th overall by the Utah Jazz.
Only 17 players from the USC Trojans have been selected in the first round of the NBA Draft, with Isaiah Collier being the latest. Although he joined an exclusive group of USC first-round picks, including Evan Mobley, DeMar DeRozan, Nikola Vucevic, Nick Young and Taj Gibson, Collier experienced a dramatic slide in his draft stock.
Isaiah Collier's journey to the NBA draft was challenging. His season at USC was marred by injuries and difficulties adapting to coach Andy Enfield's system. The presence of Bronny James, LeBron James' son, on the Trojans' roster also led to speculation that Collier's draft stock may have been affected.
Playing in the same position as Bronny, Isaiah Collier averaged 16.3 points, 4.3 assists, 2.9 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game, shooting 49% from the field and 33.8% from beyond the arc.
He also averaged 3.3 turnovers per contest while playing 30.0 minutes per game in 27 appearances.
Collier suffered a hand injury that sidelined him for a month, as the Trojans ended their season with a 15-18 record.
Bronny also had a challenging season. After a pre-season cardiac arrest that raised concerns about his ability to play, he appeared in 25 games for the Trojans, averaging 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists while shooting 36.6% from the field and 26.7% from beyond the arc. He only started six of those 25 games.
While Collier faced his own injury problems and shooting struggles, playing with Bronny might have slightly affected his draft stock. The Trojans dealt with injuries to their guards, which hampered their ability to showcase their best basketball.
Isaiah Collier needs to develop a reliable jump shot to become a star in the NBA, which is full of talented guards.
Isaiah Collier's weaknesses to work on
Isaiah Collier has a combination of size, physicality and playmaking potential that drew the attention of NBA scouts. His skill set includes a strong first step and a willingness to attack the rim.
However, his playmaking needs improvement. He commits too many reckless mistakes, averaging 3.3 turnovers per contest while dishing out 4.3 assists per game in college.
While he shows a willingness to playmaker, he needs to drive to the basket with purpose and avoid lazy outlet passes.
He needs to be more controlled when attacking the basket. His frame makes him tough to guard going downhill, but when options are limited, he can settle for lazy passes that result in turnovers.
Most importantly, he needs to develop a reliable jump shot.
The Utah Jazz have a prospect in their hands, and in their rebuilding mode, they can afford to be patient with his development.