Like fellow Western Conference teams such as the Denver Nuggets or San Antonio Spurs, the Utah Jazz gained many gifted rookies in the draft. While the newest Jazzmen all have their strengths, each of them has questions that they must address for the coming season. Here is a question that each incoming rookie drafted to the Utah Jazz has to answer during the 2024-25 NBA season.
1 Question For Each Utah Jazz Rookie
Cody Williams
Question: Can Williams increase his three-point attempts while remaining efficient?
The Utah Jazz selected Cody Williams with the 10th overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. As a player, Williams can be described as a jack-of-all-trades wing with the potential to be more. There are no areas in his game where he is truly bad. He has shown flashes of upside in multiple areas, especially as a defender. During his time at Summer League, Williams had an overall positive outing where he flashed his upside. In one game in particular, Williams had an efficient 21-point performance in which he knocked down three threes. Overall, Williams was impressive at Summer League and showed that he can be a special player.
While Williams has no specific area where he is deficient, he can stand to improve his skills further. Particularly, Williams should focus on taking more threes. While he was efficient shooting from three in college at 41.5%, he only took 1.7 attempts per game. So, the question for Williams is whether he can effectively increase his three-point attempts while remaining efficient in shooting them. If Williams can do this, it would make him a greater threat from beyond the arc. Furthermore, it will significantly raise his ceiling and increase his value as a player. As this looks to be another developmental season for the Jazz, Williams should look to use that time to address this question.
Isaiah Collier
Question: Can Collier improve as a defender?
The Utah Jazz selected Isaiah Collier with the 29th overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. Collier‘s main positives are his strength and ability to finish around the rim. He can easily power through opponents to get to the basket or fly up for the slam in transition. Additionally, Collier is a capable playmaker and has upside as a shooter. While Collier had an overall disappointing Summer League performance, he did have moments where his potential shined. Particularly, Collier had an efficient 20-point performance against the Los Angeles Clippers. Regardless of his overall performance, Collier effortlessly showed off his best skills and potential he holds.
While Collier is a talented player on the offensive end of the court, his abilities on the defensive end do not hold up as well. While he does have the physical tools to be an effective defender, Collier can struggle to keep opponents in front of him. Furthermore, he has difficulties remaining fully engaged on the defensive end. With these deficiencies in mind, the biggest question for Collier is whether or not he can improve as a defender. He must get better at sticking to his man along the perimeter and generally be fully engaged in playing defense. If he can do that, it will make him more versatile as a player and increase his ceiling. Collier needs to take this season to fully improve his defense and take his game to the next level.
Kyle Filipowski
Question: Can Filipowski become a more consistent shooter?
The Utah Jazz selected Kyle Filipowski with the 32nd overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. Filipowski possesses a unique skill set for a center as he can handle the ball, create for others, and has three-point shooting potential. Furthermore, Filipowski is a good defender and has a robust post-game. While Filipowski had an up-and-down Summer League, he did have his moments to show what he could do. In particular, Filipowski scored 26 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in an impressive performance against the Detroit Pistons. That game fully encapsulates the skills that Filipowski possesses and his potential upside as a player.
Filipowski has an excellent all-around game, but there are parts to his game he needs to focus on developing further. Specifically, Filipowski should look to improve his shooting as it will take his game to the next level. While he can shoot a bit from a distance, Filipowski isn’t that consistent of a shooter. So, the biggest question for Filipowski, is whether or not he can become a more consistent shooter. If he can, it will help him put pressure on defenses and make him even more valuable as a player. Much like his fellow rookies, developing this skill will raise the ceiling for Filipowski as a player. Filipowski must use this coming season to realize his potential as a shooter and become more consistent.
