In the early years of his career, Isaiah Collier’s story began full of hype, being ranked the No. 1 college recruit in the nation during the 2023 season. Many viewed him as the next great American player. However, the excitement was short-lived.
After an up-and-down season at USC, Collier’s draft stock fell. Many scouts pinned him as a high-risk, high-reward prospect. The speed and skill to pass the ball in high school were undeniable.
But his sub-par shooting percentage and comparisons to Emmanuel Mudiay scared many general managers from drafting the 6-foot-4-inch prospect. Danny Ainge and the Utah Jazz weren’t deterred, however, and drafted him with the twenty-ninth pick.
When backcourt-mate Keyonte George started struggling in his second season, coach Will Hardy moved Collier into the starting point guard position halfway through his rookie season.
George’s All-Star-level play this season, though, allowed him to reclaim the starting role. Collier himself continues to impress fans and the coaching staff alike, breaking their expectations.
Collier Breaking Stockton’s Record
Collier’s impressive ability to create offense for fellow teammates ranks among the best in the league. Currently ninth in the NBA in assists per game, Collier is a dime master. Upon earning the starting point guard position in the 2024 season, in January and February alone, Collier averaged 8.4 assists per game.
The pinnacle of this stretch came during a game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Feb. 28, 2025, where Collier recorded 14 assists and added 11 points. His ability to create offense is so immaculate that he beat the great John Stockton’s rookie assist record of 415 assists by one.
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Statistically Better
With Collier at the helm, the Jazz have a three percent increase in rim shot attempts, while their three-point attempts increase by 1.5%. Collier makes this possible because of his ability to use his speed and weight to drive to the hoop quickly. There, he can either pass out to teammates outside the arc or to those cutting to the basket (he averages 4.3 rim assists per 100 possessions).
In a game against the Indiana Pacers on Feb. 3, 2026, Collier played all 48 minutes and had a career-high 22 assists to go along with 17 points, helping lead the short-handed Jazz to a victory over the Pacers.
“It’s simple…I’m trying to get paint touches for my team and create shots,” Collier said in a recent interview. “Everyone is playing me as a driver, but I still think I have advantages to beat them on the drive.”
Speed Kills
In a sport where athleticism and speed are important, Collier exemplifies those traits. As mentioned before, Collier uses his fleet-footedness to get past defenders and either pass out or finish at the rim. Shots within four-feet of the hoop make up 35% of Collier’s total shot distribution; he can now make that shot 71% of the time. This small fix really helped the young guard unlock major scoring capability in his second year.
Becoming a Scorer
Last season, Collier didn’t score much, only averaging 8.7 points with a field goal percentage of 42.2%. This season, he has increased his points per game to 10.8, maintaining a 50.1% field goal percentage. He even developed a consistent mid-range shot during this time to add another tool to his offensive arsenal. Due to this change, Collier now puts up a 56.1% two-point shooting percentage.
This current percentage overshadows the 49.7% shooting percentage he averaged in his rookie year. While that may not seem like much, it’s a huge improvement for Collier, showing that he has truly adapted his game. The improvements have paid dividends enough to help him average 18 points per game in February.
Cleaning Up Turnovers
Besides shooting and assists, Collier invested time to improve other aspects of his game to better help the team. One aspect is his turnovers. Last year, the Jazz led the league in turnovers per game (they averaged 16.5).
Collier contributed 2.9 per game to add to the stat. So far this season he’s managed to tighten up his turnovers a bit. Though a small margin, Collier has lowered his turnovers to around 2.5 a game. With a team that struggles to not give the ball away, having a playmaker like Collier who prioritizes ball security can improve the team’s offensive performance.
Flaws in the Art
Any good player toils with some flaws in their game, and Collier is no exception. The guard still struggles with his three-point shooting. Last year, he averaged a three-point shooting percentage of 24.9%.
This year, the number has increased to 28.2%, but his attempts remain roughly the same, around 0.5-1.7 three-point attempts. In a league where offense means everything, a team can’t have a guard unwilling to shoot the three. Come playoff time, the opposing team’s defenses will single Collier out and make him shoot from behind the arc.
Another thing going against the young guard is his size. Though he can be crafty and make a defensive steal here and there, bigger players will use Collier to their advantage. Jazz fans saw this before when teams exploited players like Donovan Mitchell and Mike Conley defensively in the playoffs due to their lack of size.
Plus, Collier holds the seventh-worst defensive rating on the team, allowing 123.2 points when he’s out there on the floor.
Isaiah Collier Should be Part of the Future
Though Collier struggles with some aspects of the game, the guard outweighs them in his effort on the offensive end. Since George is emerging as a potential All-Star caliber player, Collier plays a critical role coming off the bench. In a league where second aprons in a salary cap prevent teams from spending substantial amounts of money, signing a cheap and solid backup point guard is crucial.
With the team trading for Jaren Jackson Jr. and losing fellow guards Walter Clayton Jr. (included in trade) and Vince Williams (injury), the Jazz need playmakers next year. Who better than a candidate already on the roster, who makes you better when he plays on the floor? Collier proves he deserves to be in the league and can adapt to it.
If the Jazz truly want to compete, they should highly consider keeping the young guard around for the foreseeable future.
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