The Oklahoma City Thunder have the No. 12 pick of the 2024 NBA draft. They acquired the lottery selection via the Houston Rockets. The gifted first-round selection gives OKC a chance to add another young prospect to the youngest first seed in league history.
The Thunder have one of the best trios in the league with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams. For the foreseeable future, the draft will now be about filling out the rest of the depth chart around those three players.
One possibility is USC’s Isaiah Collier. The 19-year-old had a solid freshman campaign after he entered the year with hype. He’s one of the better playmakers of the class. He won’t be a top selection but has a chance to be selected in the lottery.
Entering last season, Collier was one of the more hyped prospects. He was discussed as a possible 2024 top selection. The 19-year-old turned in a solid freshman campaign but his hype died down and is now seen as a lottery selection. He averaged 16.3 points on 49% shooting, 4.3 assists and 2.9 rebounds with USC. He shot 33.8% from 3 on three attempts.
A broken hand and losing season died down the hype for Collier, but that likely won’t deter teams from selecting him with a lottery pick. The one-and-done prospect is still viewed as a blue-chip player with a chance to be a high-end starter.
He’s likely a traditional point guard. His playmaking and vision are advanced. He can be a primary ball-handler. He has a creative handle and can create space off the dribble. Expect him to be a great pick-and-roll ball-handler from the start. He will be a downhill scorer for the most part to start his career as he works on his jumper.
The 6-foot-3, 210-pound guard has great size for his position. He possesses an NBA-ready frame. He filled out and can embrace/absorb contact with ease. He’ll muscle through defenses to get clean looks at the rim. Collier will need the ball in his hands a lot to be an effective player.
Most rookies enter the league as defensive liabilities because of their wiry frame. That won’t be the case with Collier. He has one of the best frames in this year’s class and will hold his own against grown athletes. His wingspan is neutral but he averaged 1.5 steals in 30 minutes at USC, which means he has a knack for getting to the ball.
The technique will need to be refined, but that comes with experience. He is bulky enough to fight through screens…
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