Hidden Isaiah Collier secret may push Jazz to keep him

After a pretty impressive rookie season, Isaiah Collier hasn't gotten much attention until Keyonte George's latest injury. George has proven himself to be a franchise cornerstone, but Collier has only continued to prove his value as their backup point guard and then some.

Collier leads the team in assists per game, averaging 7.2 despite only 25.2 minutes per game, but he's an even better playmaker than a stat like that shows. Stat Defender revealed that Collier averages more potential assists per 100 possessions this season than anyone else.

So what exactly does that mean? It means Collier is elite at setting up his teammates to score. Given how bad the Jazz are, he doesn't average more assists in part because the Jazz are designed not to convert the opportunities Collier sets up for them. With that about to change to a drastic degree, expect Collier's numbers to go up considerably in Year 3.

The prospect of keeping him is a little difficult because of what his next deal could look like, and he might be too good for the backup role, but these numbers show how valuable he will likely be once the Jazz start competing for the playoffs next season.

Could Collier start next season?

Collier is projected to still be the team's backup point guard next season, as the starting lineup will likely be George, Lauri Markkanen, Jaren Jackson Jr., Walker Kessler, and Ace Bailey. It's an intriguing jumbosized lineup that is definitely worth a look, but that doesn't necessarily mean it will work out plendidly.

Utah will need playmaking, which their projected starting lineup may not necessarily have much of outside of George. For as talented as that lineup is, the Jazz will need players who can set up their scorers to thrive. Collier does that, as even with George's massive strides, it's fair to say that the former is the team's best playmaker.

There would be concerns though. Collier's shooting has been better in Year 2, but still far from great. Teams will pick on his shortcomings as a floor-spacer, daring him to beat them in that regard while doing their best to blanket everyone else.

Looking as the glass half-full, his gradual improvement from Ben Simmons-level bad as a shooter at the start of his career to just normal bad now could make fans optimistic he could improve from here, but that will be on Collier to prove when the heat's on.

For all the hype the Jazz have been deservedly getting, Collier's impact on next year's team isn't getting much attention, but he could be the X-factor next year, depending on what he shows them.