Did the Utah Jazz Have One of the Best 2024 NBA Drafts?
Image Courtesy: @CUBuffsMBB on X
Every time the draft comes around it is a time for teams to pick players they believe can transform their franchise into championship contenders. For the Utah Jazz, they had three opportunities to do so, including two picks in the first round. So, how did the Jazz fare in their selections?
No. 10 pick: F Cody Williams, Colorado
Image Courtesy: AAron Ontiveroz, The Denver Post
There’s a lot to like about Cody Williams’ game. One of the most obvious traits is in his physical stature as he is 6’7” meaning he is tall enough to guard multiple positions. His size gives him the ability to switch in a variety of schemes and when paired with his length/wingspan, it is easy to imagine Williams being able to shut down lanes while also being able to contend the three-point shot.
On the offensive side of things, Williams’ size is intimidating but he could benefit from putting on a few more pounds of muscle in order to go up and get foul calls in his drives. His lengthy athleticism does give him a leg up on slower defenders who choose to stay in one area, and his burst is nothing to scoff at as well. Although his burst is there for getting to the basket, he could benefit from an improvement in explosiveness. That first step after putting the ball on the ground has the potential to be lethal if he can develop a bit more power off the rip.
While it is uncertain what the Jazz will look like, Williams should be able to slot in and help a team who would certainly benefit from his prowess on the defensive side of the ball.
Grade: B
No. 29 pick: PG Isaiah Collier, University of Southern California
Image Courtesy: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports
At 6’3”, 210 lbs., Isaiah Collier out of USC has the potential to become a dominant guard for Utah, similar to the way Donovan Mitchell was for years. Collier was projected to be a consensus top pick at the beginning of the 2023-24 NCAA basketball season but after a lackluster season for the team, his stock fell. Despite the team performance, Collier as an individual averaged 16.3 points, 4.3 assists, 2.9 rebounds, and 1.5 steals per game.
As mentioned earlier, Collier’s size is just another impressive feature of Collier. Because his current stature is already so bulky, there won’t be nearly as much of a curve in physicality which will already put him above other potential picks the Jazz could have opted for. Additionally, Collier placed within the top five for guards in multiple events at the NBA Combine, showcasing his athleticism.
Collier’s most notable potential “knock” currently is that he could not get a high number of assists which raises questions about his playmaking ability. However, getting a potential top pick at the end of the first round is value enough to make this ga high grade.
Grade: A
No. 32 pick: PF/C Kyle Filipowski, Duke
Image Courtesy: Duke University Athletics website
Unfortunately for Kyle Filipowski and the Jazz, most of the conversation around this pick has been about the peculiar situation with his girlfriend. That is not what we are here to talk about today, however off-the-court maters are relevant to grades and evaluations as well.
Depending on what mock draft you looked at, Filipowski was going anywhere between late lottery (11-14) and pick number 25. There’s a reason for the potentially high value and it comes in the fact that he can play both the power forward and the center positions, meaning he can plug and play in a multitude of schemes. Additionally, he’s a natural playmaker and has an extended range which is something many teams look for in the modern NBA when they are assessing bigs.
As for potential issues, there is a concern that Filipowski may not be able to handle some of the more dominant bigs in the NBA given how physical some of them can be. A major knock on his game is that he was never a stellar rim protector even in the college game, despite his size, so there is potential for worry about that trend continuing in the NBA.
Grade: B+
we came, we saw, we got our guys 🫡#NBADraft pic.twitter.com/DzKgW0Kg6h
— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) June 27, 2024
Overall, the Jazz did a phenomenal job at addressing needs as well as finding athletic players at a variety of positions. With this draft being one where there was no bona-fide top prospect, the Jazz should be seeking to get at least valuable role players/rotational pieces, while hoping for the upside of dominant playmakers and defenders in these selections. For a team with a myriad of future draft picks, these recent selections should give some hope for the future and if not, the Jazz still have potential to make moves given their capital.
