USC Men's Basketball: Insider Ranks Trojan Freshman Among Top 10 In New Mock
Freshman guard Isaiah Collier is one of USC's top additions in recent memory, and 2024 NBA mock draft boards reflect that.
Slotted in anywhere from 1 to 10 in a given mock draft, Collier is a versatile guard with tremendous versatility and athleticism. Per Michael Sotto of HoopsHype.com:
“Collier has good size for a point guard and is probably the best passer in this year’s draft class,” an NBA scout told HoopsHype. "After that, there’s a lot left to be desired."
Collier’s ability to spread the floor as a shooter and how he fares defensively against other guards will heavily impact his draft stock.
“Collier is a good penetrator who wants to attack the paint at all times,” another NBA scout told HoopsHype. “He doesn’t shoot well, but he’s strong and really fast in transition.”
In well-regarded draft insider Jonathan Givony's most recent mock draft, he has Collier 2nd, behind only Ron Holland of Texas.
Collier is clearly a slightly polarizing prospect given his limited offensive game when it comes to his shooting, but as seen in the NBA today with players like Scoot Henderson and Ja Morant, athleticism, ball-handling, and elite playmaking can check back for shoot deficiencies, especially if drafted to a team with good floor spacing.
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Isaiah's performance at USC is likely going to dictate a lot of his draft stock, as his game could easily fail to translate to the college level. While unlikely, it can be challenging for players to find success without a consistent jumpshot, no matter how athletic they are.
As a 6'3" guard with a limited jumper, Collier will likely struggle to play off the ball, and end up having to have one of the nation's top usage rates. This could be effective for USC, but for an NBA team, the notion of drafting a player who requires the ball in his hands as high as No. 1 or No. 2 overall can be difficult to rationalize.
While Scoot and Ja are two examples of players that teams did draft high, for every one of them, there's a number of guards who are elite athletes and non-shooters who've struggled to carve out a role in the NBA, or saw their careers end early.
John Wall for example, while he dealt with serious injuries, was unable to bounce back once he lost a step because of how reliant he was on his athleticism.
Comparing that to a taller player who is less reliant on his speed and more on his shot, Michael Porter Jr. bounced back from several severe back injuries and surgeries to become one of the league's top role players and shooters.
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