Will Hardy Highlights Underrated Jazz Standout After Lakers Loss

While the Utah Jazz weren't able to walk away with a winning effort over the Los Angeles Lakers on their home floor, coming up short 143-135 due to a commanding fourth quarter by LA, it wasn't a night without a few notable positive performances to take away from the roster.

Of course, Keyonte George's third-straight 30-point performance jumps off the page, as it rightfully should. Ace Bailey had one of his higher-scoring outings of the season, logging 19 points without Lauri Markkanen in the lineup, and Brice Sensabaugh was a quality spark plug off the bench with 15 points himself.

But Jazz head coach Will Hardy pointed out one player down the bench after the game that might've just had one of his best games since arriving in Utah––that being Isaiah Collier with his double-double of 18 points and 13 assists in the 28 minutes he was on the floor.

"It was one of Zay's best games that I've seen him play," Hardy said during his postgame presser. "I think he's continuing to apply pressure on the paint for our team. He's doing such a good job of playing off two feet. He's delivering the bump on the ground, which I think gives him the opportunity, at his size, to still finish at the rim.  But, he's making a lot of really good decisions for us."

Will Hardy: That's one of Isaiah's best games.

Collier finished with 18 points and 13 assists. pic.twitter.com/388G2Sm3D7
— JP Chunga (@JP_Chunga) December 19, 2025

Isaiah Collier Lands Shoutout From Will Hardy

Collier had initially started the season both injured and taking time to adjust within the second unit of the Jazz's rotation, but now with a few weeks of the regular season under his belt, and continuing some hard work behind the scenes, the potential of what he can bring to this offense moving forward as a floor general has really begun to show.

And for Hardy, he's certainly not letting it go unnoticed.

“Zay works really hard, and I think he’s continuing to find his way of how his skill set fits with our team," Hardy continued. "And if he keeps putting pressure on the paint and playing off two feet, he's going to help us every night. His tempo and transition, the way he can push the pace, is great."

Dec 18, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Jazz guard Isaiah Collier (8) runs into Los Angeles Lakers forward Drew Timme (17) during the second half at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Chris Nicoll-Imagn Images | Chris Nicoll-Imagn Images

Another factor that Hardy loves about his second-year guard: his ability to let Keyonte George play a bit more off-the-ball, a role he's been naturally accustomed to for most of his playing career until now, and provides a bit of extra rest for the Jazz's budding star guard in the process.

"The other part that doesn't get talked about, I don't think, is that when he's on the court with Keyonte, it allows Keyonte to get off the ball for a few minutes. It's a different look for Key. Key has naturally been a two-guard for the majority of his life. But it's exhausting to bring the ball up against pressure over and over and over again.

"So I think that part, Zay, is helping Key a lot when they're on the court together, because it takes some of the ball handling duties away for a few minutes.""

It took some time, but Collier is putting the pieces together to be a really strong rotational piece in the Jazz's backcourt for now and the future. And at just 21 years old, less than 100 games into his pro career, it's tough to see him being even close to his ceiling just yet.

Be sure to bookmark Utah Jazz On SI and follow @JazzOnSI on X to stay up-to-date on daily Utah Jazz news, interviews, breakdowns and more!