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Jazz Rookie Breaks John Stockton Record

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Utah Jazz guard John Stockton statue

Utah Jazz floor general Isaiah Collier has done something that not even former All-NBA point guard Deron Williams was able to do. Facing off against the Charlotte Hornets, Collier tallied 17 points, seven assists, and three steals and one block in 32 minutes. By the end of the game, he had thrown enough dimes to break Hall of Fame point guard John Stockton‘s previous record for the most assists by a Jazz rookie (415).

Collier now has 419 assists with six games remaining in the season. For comparison’s sake, Williams recorded 359 assists as a rookie. Not bad for the 29th overall pick in the draft.

Jazz’s Isaiah Collier Breaks 40-Year-Old John Stockton Record

Collier might be the most underrated point guard in the NBA.

As the No. 1 high school recruit in the ESPN 100 for the Class of 2023, he’s not an unknown quantity. Somehow though, for all the attention that USC generated when they received a commitment from Bronny James, Collier flew under the radar. Maybe it was that James’s star power overshadowed Collier’s, making the Marietta native an afterthought for many draft enthusiasts. However, Collier’s play was also probably a bit underwhelming to those who have grown used to point guards that are pull-up artists.

The All-Pac-12 Freshman selection averaged 16.3 points, 4.3 assists, and 1.5 steals per game while shooting 49.0 percent from the field. In terms of counting stats, there wasn’t much more that could be asked of a player fresh out of high school. Sure, Collier only converted 33.8 percent of his 3-point attempts. That shouldn’t have been any reason for an athletic playmaker and dogged defender to fall so far in the draft.

Yet, that’s exactly what happened.

Young & Rich

As they say, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. With that being said, Utah’s record may not reflect it, but they’re rich with young talent. Collier isn’t their only draft pick with the potential to be a long-term starter in the NBA.

Former Baylor guard Keyonte George is coming off the bench as he continues to refine his game. However, he has untapped potential and it wouldn’t be surprising for him to reclaim a starting spot. Former UCF Knight forward Taylor Hendricks is out for the season after suffering a gruesome leg injury. However, the Jazz were prepared to rely on him as a starter, in a 3-and-D-adjacent role.

Then there’s former Duke forward-center Kyle Filipowski. The 2024 No. 32 pick, he’s played so well that he might be on an All-Rookie team. The skilled big man has averaged 9.1 points and 5.6 rebounds per game while shooting 38.7 percent from 3.

Cody Williams hasn’t gotten off to a great start, particularly offensively. The 2024 No. 10 pick is averaging 4.6 points per game and shooting 25.9 percent from 3. Yet, it was somewhat difficult to assess his play initially, the Jazz using him differently than he played in college. Nevertheless, Williams has progressively looked more comfortable and should see much improvement with a regimented offseason.

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