Utah Jazz coach Will Hardy likes what he’s seeing from Isaiah Collier, and he didn’t mince words about it ahead of Tuesday’s preseason matchup with the Nuggets.
Hardy pointed to Collier’s shape, his daily approach and a clearer understanding of where he fits as the main reasons the second-year guard has stood out early in camp. The coach called it a strong showing overall, while making clear that Collier’s growth is showing in more than just the box score.
"I think Zay has had a great camp," Hardy said of Collier. "He's come in in really good shape.
Whatever self-assessment he did, it's put him in a great headspace in terms of his approach every day. And in no way do I mean that to point out that he didn't have a good approach before.
He's just, you know, one year later, and you can feel it when you speak to him."
"You can feel it when you're coaching him and watching film with him. His understanding is a little bit better. But not just the understanding of the whole, the understanding of himself and sort of where he fits in our ecosystem right now."
That praise lines up with what Collier has already shown in Utah’s first two preseason games. Against Denver in the opener, he put up nine points, four rebounds, four assists and did not turn the ball over. In the second game, he followed with six points, three rebounds and two assists in 17 minutes, again without a turnover.
Collier has already given the Jazz plenty to like over his first two seasons, especially with his playmaking, ball-handling and ability to get downhill and pressure the rim. The next leap for him may come from the part of the game that isn’t as easy to measure: maturity, confidence and a steadier mindset.
That’s the same kind of offseason jump Keyonte George made last year, when he turned a breakout season into a $150 million-plus extension just a few weeks ago. Collier’s path could follow a similar shape if this early momentum keeps building.
Hardy, though, isn’t rushing to put a ceiling or a spotlight on it yet. Two preseason games don’t make a season, and he knows the Jazz still have work to do every day.
"Again, it's one preseason game. But there are some good indicators," Hardy continued. "Now, we have to fight for our focus every day, and in the moments where it doesn't go perfectly, or guys take a mini step back, we’ve got to be able to recenter and keep moving forward."
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