Isaiah Collier Shakes Free Off Bench for Utah Jazz, Could Be Finding His Groove

The Utah Jazz saw Isaiah Collier post one of his best games as a rookie on Friday agianst the Portalnd Trail Blazers. Is Collier finding his stride?

Dec 6, 2024; Portland, Oregon, USA; Utah Jazz guard Isaiah Collier (13) dribbles the ball against Portland Trail Blazers forward Jabari Walker (34) during the second half at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-Imagn Images | Soobum Im-Imagn Images

The Utah Jazz strategy in the 2024 NBA Draft seemed clear. While everyone laminated the 2024 class, opining about how "bad" the group was, some teams went the other direction. The Jazz went out and grabbed additional picks to load up on formerly highly rated prospects.

Utah was able to select Cody Williams, Isaiah Collier and Kyle Filipowski in the 2024 NBA Draft, all of whom had top-ten buzz around them at varying points in the 2024 NBA Draft cycle. Things have not panned out in a massive way for this trio yet. Williams is in the G League, Filipowski on the shelf and Collier floating in and out of the rotation.

In Utah's dominating 141-99 win over the Portland Trail Blazers, Collier was able to shake free off the bench. The young guard posted 12 points, four rebounds, seven assists and swiped three steals while shooting 5-for-13 from the floor, 1-foe-3 from distance and 1-for-2 at the charity stripe.

Collier should be able to parlay this into a successful stint for a low pressure team. Ideally, the USC product should be able to get downhill attacking the rim and allow that to open the floor for the rest of his game. The Jazz are in desperate need of guard help to set the table for their bigs. The glaring issue could be fixed if Collier can pop.

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