Jazz Youngsters Making Strong Cases For All-Rookie Team

The 2024 NBA Draft class was undersold. The top of the draft didn’t feature as many star-caliber prospects as scouts are used to seeing. Nonetheless, it was a relatively deep talent pool. This is why multiple players selected outside of the lottery, including several second-round picks, have already broken into their team’s rotation. Amazingly, the Utah Jazz and Toronto Raptors have five rookies between them who are considered rotation players.

Jazz’s Isaiah Collier, Kyle Filipowski Making All-Rookie Team Case

For the Jazz, there was former USC point guard Isaiah Collier and former Duke center Kyle Filipowski. Utah selected them with the 29th and 32nd picks, respectively. For the Raptors, there was former Baylor wing Ja’Kobe Walter, former San Francisco forward-center Jonathan Mogbo, and former Houston point guard Jamal Shead. Toronto drafted their trio with the 19th, 31st, and 45th picks, respectively.

Mogbo and Shead got off to the quickest starts. In fact, they were among the early frontrunners for Rookie of the Year. After that, Walter started to flash his potential.

Since then, Collier and Filipowski have stolen the show though.

Isaiah Collier is now only 69 assists away from breaking John Stockton’s record of most assists in a single season by a rookie for the Utah Jazz.

There are 18 games left. Collier just needs to average 3.9 APG in the remaining games to break it. I think he is going to crush it.

— Art Cummings (@ArtTakesNote) March 10, 2025

In Collier, the Jazz have a true floor general and potential lockdown defender, both rarities at his position in this era.

some of Isaiah Collier’s assists from his last 25 games (8.9 APG over that span!) pic.twitter.com/x1S70smlkI

— Brett Usher (@UsherNBA) March 2, 2025

In Filipowski, they have a modern center who possesses the size of a big man and the skills of a much smaller one.

Kyle Filipowski’s stats in the last 8 games:

– 17.8 PPG
– 8.6 RPG
– 3 APG
– 1 SPG
– 54.3% from field

Flip is also shooting 52.5% from three on 5 attempts per game in this span! He’s making a legit push for an All-Rookie team! pic.twitter.com/UA3ErJ7JzR

— Art Cummings (@ArtTakesNote) March 10, 2025

Indeed, both Collier and Filipowski have a real chance of making one of the league’s All-Rookie teams.

In his last 20 games, Collier is averaging 11.6 points and 8.6 assists per contest. In his last 10 games, Filipowski is averaging 16.2 points, 7.4 rebounds, 2.9 assists per contest. He’s also been shooting 51.1 percent from 3. For the season, Collier’s averaging 6.2 assists per game, which leads the rookie class. For the season, Filipowski’s averaging 8.4 points and 5.3 rebounds per game. Among all rookies, those numbers rank 11th and sixth, respectively.

All-Rookie Predictions

There are several players who are shoo-ins for an All-Rookie team, especially as there’s no 65-game requirement. That being said, Philadelphia 76ers guard Jared McCain, San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle, Memphis Grizzlies wing Jaylen Wells, and Grizzlies center Zach Edey all appear bound to make one of them.

Miami Heat center Kel’el Ware, New Orleans Pelicans center Yves Missi, Atlanta Hawks forward Zaccharie Risacher, Washington Wizards center Alex Sarr, and Wizards guard Bub Carrington –all of whom are starters –could get the nod as well. Not to be forgotten are popular rookies like Los Angeles Lakers wing Dalton Knecht and Portland Trail Blazers center Donovan Clingan.

All things considered, the competition will be steep. Nevertheless, if Collier and Filipowski keep up their current pace, they might be too difficult to ignore.