Jazz's Isaiah Collier Sets Blunt Expectations for Year 2

The Utah Jazz received a pleasant surprise amid the turbulence of their 2024-25 season in the for of rookie guard Isaiah Collier, who ended up exploding onto the scene as one of the best rookie guards in the class, and perhaps one of the biggest steals of last summer's class as the 29th-overall pick.

During the 71 games in which he suited up across his first year pro, Collier averaged 8.7 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 6.3 assists on 42.3% shooting from the field and 24.9% from three. From nearly sliding into the second round to posting those numbers in his rookie campaign, it was a huge statement from the USC product that may inevitably land him with All-Rookie honors by the end of this season.

Though Collier already started off his career on the right foot with a nice rookie season, he has some clear goals to get better both individually and collectively for his second year in the league.

Collier was asked about his year two expectations heading into the 2025 offseason, keeping one simple, yet common goal in mind: be better than he was.

"[What do I] expect for myself? To be better than I was this year," Collier said during his end-of-season presser. "I mean, that's the goal, for sure. I mean, we all just want to win, so contributing to winning, any way, shape, or form, that's what I want to do. Just being out there, being a leader on the floor, and being the best possible point guard I can be."

While everyone from young guys to vets on the Jazz roster wants to win, this season was all about growth and development for this youth movement, and for players like Collier, that's exactly what transpired as the year progressed. As a result, only 17 wins came their way throughout the 82-game stretch, making for some tough moments and challenges to endure.

Yet, through the struggles Utah faced this year, this group remains bought into the common goal of putting together a winning unit, and for Collier, it starts with improving in his own right.

Whether it be improving his shot to be better from beyond the arc, increasing his efficiency as a passer, or cementing himself as a more impactful perimeter defender, there are a bundle of ways for the 20-year-old to use this summer massively to his advantage to accomplish his goal. And as shown through his first season, he's shown more than enough promise to keep improving his game with time.

Keep an eye on Collier heading into his second season, as with the right strides across the coming months, he could be primed for yet another jump as one of the most appealing young guards in the NBA.

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