After starting his rookie season injured on the sidelines, USC product and now Utah Jazz guard Isaiah Collier has begun to make a notable impression on Will Hardy and the rest of the team’s staff as he has soaked in the league.

It hasn’t been a perfect start for the 20-year-old, as his shooting ability and efficiency haven’t quite shaped through 11 games (3.7 PPG, 33.3% FG, 15.8% 3PT), but regardless of those flaws, there some other areas of his game that add tremendous value to the Jazz’s backcourt – especially his playmaking ability.

Jazz coach Will Hardy recently spoke to the media about some of the standout traits he’s seen from his rookie guard, citing his vision and timing as a key driver of Utah’s offense.

“So far, I think Isaiah (Collier) is our best player at delivering the lob to the fives,” Hardy said. “He’s shown the best timing and feel for that specific play. I think some of our other guards, wings, young perimeter players have gotten a lot better at seeing the corner, but the timing of that lob, Isaiah is probably the best guy on our team on it… It’s impressed me a lot.It’s a really valuable skill because you start penalizing high fives for overrotating.

For a team that struggled last season, and even parts of this season, with effective and efficient ball movement, finding a young, high-IQ playmaker in the backcourt is a significant boost to this Jazz rebuild.

“I also think his passing in transition, his willingness to get off the ball early has been a driver of our tempo,” Hardy continued. “The game feels faster when Isaiah is in the game, and it’s not just because he’s a fast runner. He moves the ball quickly.”

Per 36 minutes, Collier is dishing out 6.5 assists per game, right along with second-year guard Keyonte George. While his turnovers also jump to a team-high 4.7, those deficiencies could be addressed in plenty of time, especially for a young, largely inexperienced guard.

As the season progresses and Collier becomes more acclimated to the NBA game, expect his consistency in both distributing and shooting the ball to improve with it.

Still, things appear to be on the right track for this rebuilding Jazz backcourt.

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