USC Basketball: Isaiah Collier Lands With Inconsistent East Team in Post-Lottery Mock

Would this be a good landing spot for Collier?

Feb 29, 2024; Pullman, Washington, USA; USC Trojans guard Isaiah Collier (1) controls the ball / James Snook-USA TODAY Sports

The NBA Draft lottery is over and done with. The Atlanta Hawks, who finished as the 10th seed in the Eastern Conference and only 10 games below .500, came away with the No.1 overall pick. 

The Hawks will have plenty of options to choose from, and a handful of former USC Trojans will look to make a name for themselves. One Trojan with a bright NBA future and a ton of promise is guard Isaiah Collier. 

Collier is projected to be a lottery pick, and in this ESPN post-lottery draft, he is just that. Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo released their post-lottery NBA mock draft and have Collier land with the Chicago Bulls at No. 11 overall. 

Givony writes Collier could be a potential Zach LaVine replacement.

"With guard Zach Lavine reportedly a candidate to be traded and a need for additional backcourt playmaking as a priority this offseason, the shot-creation prowess and scoring instincts of Collier will be studied closely by the Bulls' front office should he be available with this pick. Collier has flaws but also offers some real star power and upside with his size, strength and slashing ability at 19 years old, especially if his perimeter shooting improves. -- Givony" 

The 19-year-old entered USC last season as the No. 1 player in his 2023 recruiting class. He was a five-star recruit from Marietta, Georgia, and Wheeler High School. The freshman was spectacular for the Trojans, averaging 16.3 points per game, 2.9 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game on 49.0 percent shooting from the field and 33.8 percent from three-point land. 

He stands at 6-foot-5 and weighs 210 pounds. Collier is a ball handler and has been compared to former NBA players like Baron Davis, Ty Lawson, and Tyreke Evans. His size, strength with the ball in his hand, and athleticism are his strong suits on the court. However, his poor shooting and high turnover rate as a guard are a bit of a concern, resulting in his being a potential late-lottery draft pick. 

Collier can climb to a top-10 pick in the coming weeks if he can have a solid combine. 

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