Isaiah Collier got somewhat forgotten this summer because more attention has been focused on the Utah Jazz's primary guards on the roster: Keyonte George and Darryn Peterson. However, a few games into the preseason, Collier has made it clear that he should be part of the Jazz's playoff aspirations this season.
The three-pointer remains in question, but he may not have to develop into a floor-spacer to truly be effective. He is still is fast, he's still an excellent playmaker, and he's even shown flashes of improved defense. That last tidbit there is key, as Collier admitted to reporters that he watches a lot of game film of Derrick White.
This is a big deal, and not just because White's a recognized name. White has evolved into one of the NBA's best two-way players. Despite the Boston Celtics missing Jayson Tatum for most of the season, they still remained among the best teams in the East in the regular season. Much of that was because of White.
Despite his three-pointer falling apart on him, White's elite defense covered a lot of ground and steadied the ship. If Collier can emulate that aspect of White's game more than anything, Utah should be ecstatic.
Collier doesn't have to be a White replica, but close enough
Collier and White don't have the exact same play styles. White's three-point shooting struggles may have been a flash in the pan, as he proved to be an elite three-point shooter. Again, Collier may not have to be that but he has the makings of a player who could be very impactful as White is.
Collier is a better playmaker than White is, and he's also faster. He can use that to his advantage. Despite being small in stature, Collier is also stocky. Combining that with his speed, and it's clear he has the makings to be a quality defender on a team in which many question if they have the personnel to compete on that side of the floor.
If that's what he becomes, it makes Utah much more well-rounded as a team. It would be flat-out awesome if Collier's jumper could turn into something, but White's jumper fell apart last year and did not change anything about Boston as a team, and most of that season was spent without Tatum.
Collier studying White's game is a step in the right direction for him and for the Jazz. He doesn't have to be White to give the Jazz that extra gear, but utilizing his strengths as best as he could like White does would make Utah much tougher to beat.
Add us as a preferred source on Google