Jazz Rookies Showing Major Growth in One Key Area

It’s no secret that the Utah Jazz are in the midst of a rebuild, but the team has still managed to do an admirable job homing in on player development and growth.

First-year players Kyle Filipowski and Isaiah Collier have found their rhythm from beyond the arc and are now more consistent threats from deep, contrary to their early-season struggles. Shooting with confidence is the first step in developing a jumper that can be relied on, and the Jazz coaching staff has empowered both young players to shoot the ball with conviction.

During the month of December, Filipowski and Utah Jazz assistant coaches Andrew Warren and Mike Williams began laying the groundwork to improve the blossoming rookie’s shot by making changes to his shooting form.

“So what they’ve done is if you watch him now, he catches and he just comes straight up and shoots it. It’s one complete motion. So they’ve moved from down, up, over to just up and through. Just one motion,” David Locke said on the Locked on Jazz Podcast.

Through constant repetition and an open-minded approach to tweaking his jump shot at the highest level, Filipowski saw drastic improvement from deep.

The numbers speak for themselves—Flip shot 30% from three-point range in the first 37 games of his career but is now shooting 47.1% over his last 26 games. Changing your shooting mechanics in the slightest way can do irreparable damage to a player’s psyche and never allow them to be the same player that got them to the league in the first place.

In the case of someone as headstrong as Filipowski, the change has allowed him to thrive and cement himself as one of the NBA’s best offensive rookies.

Collier also went through similar growing pains to start his rookie season, making only six threes over a 23-game span in November and December.

Collier got to a point earlier this season where he refused to shoot the ball even when teams were not guarding him at the three-point line, but oh, how the tables have turned.

Over his last 20 games, Collier is shooting 34% from beyond the arc and gaining the respect of opposing defenses. He plays with more confidence each time he steps out on the floor, and continues to prove he will be an important foundational piece for the Jazz.

Adding a respectable three-point shot to his bag will open up Collier’s game, as he is already a gifted passer and slasher who is tough to stop going downhill.

The Jazz are seeing early returns on their investments and should be encouraged by the progress both rookies are making. Filipowski and Collier will look to finish the year strong as they enter an important summer for their development.

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