Isaiah Collier Full Scouting Report

School: USC

Nationality: USA

Age: 19

Position: PG

Size: 6'5", 210 lbs

After first impressions, Isaiah Collier looked like one of the favorites to go first in the 2024 NBA draft. He popped with his standout physical traits and on-ball excitement.

Questions eventually emerged over his efficiency and USC losses before a hand injury sent him to the sidelines. But Collier started to turn things around upon his return, showing improvement in key areas while remaining productive.

Few prospects in this draft have flashed both Collier's level of star potential and concerns.

With USC missing the NCAA tournament, his predraft process starts earlier than most.

Projected Role and Pro Comparisons

Projected role: Primary ball-handler

Pro comparisons: Tyreke Evans, Ty Lawson, Baron Davis

Whether it's as a starting point guard or bench spark, Isaiah Collier will need the ball.

He's more wired to score, but he lacks off-ball skills, and his elusiveness, gravity and passing ability still make him enough of a playmaking threat for a point guard.

With positional strength and handles, and a limited jump shot, he can resemble 2009 lottery pick Tyreke Evans. He has a frame like Baron Davis, but also Ty Lawson's speed with the ball in the open floor.

Draft Projection

Draft ceiling: Top 10

Draft floor: Top 20

Teams that think Collier can improve his shot and decision-making may deem him a worthwhile top-10 pick. Not many ball-handlers pack as much shiftiness and power. But he also comes with enticing creativity off the dribble and at the rim.

If teams are hesitant about drafting a poor-shooting, high-turnover lead guard, he could slip further into the mid-first round. In that range, teams with point guards won't worry about logjams or drafting a backup, with the idea that Collier can still serve as a valuable bench spark and second-unit weapon.

Physical Tools and Athleticism

At 6'5", 210 pounds, Collier has standout size and strength for a ball-handler.

He weaponizes his physical tools for scoring downhill, using his power to plow through contact and finish after it around the basket. But he's not just a north-south attacker, as Collier has the shiftiness to shake east and west. He keeps defenders backpedaling.

Athletically, he's more quick than explosive. His strong finishing clip at the rim comes from the ability to use his body and his impressive layup package, rather than a penchant to bounce to sky above shot-blockers.

Signature Strengths

Physicality

Collier uses his strength routinely, and even at the NBA level, it should give him an advantage attacking the rim. He won't be able to rely on it as much, but it will still be a signature aspect of his dribble-drive game and finishing package.

Creating offense

Regardless of how his shot develops, it won't affect Collier's signature ability to make things happen with the ball. He puts pressure on defenses in transition and off-ball screens, and even when isolated against a defender who sags, Collier has the ability to shake or blow by.

Playmaking potential

Collier's elusiveness, gravity and passing skill create playmaking potential. The highlight tape was more convincing than his assist-to-turnover numbers. When focused on quarterbacking an offense, he can really set the table with enough vision and setup feel to play point guard full time.

Weaknesses

Shooting

Only 3.0 three-point attempts per game, a 33.8 three-point percentage and 67.3 free-throw percentage have raised questions about Collier's early NBA shooting. The eye test wasn't any more assuring, as he gets little elevation on a shot that's mostly all arms.

Given how effective he is at attacking the rim, NBA defenses are going to have a clear game-plan to sag and bait Collier into taking outside shots.

Decision-making

While he showed improvement later, Collier was vulnerable all season to making careless or forced plays. He showed tunnel vision or drove the ball into traffic. He struggled to balance shot-hunting with playmaking, raising questions about his trustworthiness for running an NBA offense anytime soon.